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ResearchIn-Press PreviewDevelopmentStem cells Open Access | 10.1172/JCI180160

Transcription factor KROX20 marks epithelial stem cells for hair follicle formation

Elnaz Ghotbi,1 Edem Tchegnon,1 Zhiguo Chen,1 Stephen Li,1 Tracey Shipman,1 Yong Wang,1 Jenny Raman,1 Yumeng Zhang,1 Renee M. McKay,1 Chung-Ping Liao,1 and Lu Q. Le1

1Department of Dermatology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States of America

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1Department of Dermatology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States of America

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1Department of Dermatology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States of America

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1Department of Dermatology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States of America

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1Department of Dermatology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States of America

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1Department of Dermatology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States of America

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1Department of Dermatology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States of America

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1Department of Dermatology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States of America

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1Department of Dermatology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States of America

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1Department of Dermatology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States of America

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1Department of Dermatology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States of America

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Published October 3, 2024 - More info

J Clin Invest. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI180160.
Copyright © 2024, Ghotbi et al. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
Published October 3, 2024 - Version history
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Abstract

Epidermal stem cells control homeostasis and regeneration of skin and hair. In the hair follicle (HF) bulge of mammals, populations of slow-cycling stem cells regenerate the HF during cyclical rounds of anagen (growth), telogen (quiescence), and catagen (regression). Multipotent epidermal cells are also present in the HF above the bulge area, contributing to the formation and maintenance of sebaceous gland and upper and middle portions of the HF. Here, we report that the transcription factor Krox20 is enriched in an epidermal stem cell population located in the upper/ middle HF. Expression analyses and lineage tracing using inducible Krox20-CreERT showed that Krox20-lineage cells migrate out of this HF region and contribute to the formation of bulge in the HF, serving as ancestors of bulge stem cells. In vivo depletion of these cells arrests HF morphogenesis. This study identifies a novel marker for an epidermal stem cell population that is indispensable for hair homeostasis.

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