Beta1 integrin-mediated adhesion signalling is essential for epidermal progenitor cell expansion
Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
BACKGROUND: There is a major discrepancy between the in vitro and in vivo results regarding the role of beta1 integrins in the maintenance of epidermal stem/progenitor cells. Studies of mice with skin-specific ablation of beta1 integrins suggested that epidermis can form and be maintained in their absence, while in vitro data have shown a fundamental role for these adhesion receptors in stem/progenitor cell expansion and differentiation. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: To elucidate this discrepancy we generated hypomorphic mice expressing reduced beta1 integrin levels on keratinocytes that developed similar, but less severe defects than mice with beta1-deficient keratinocytes. Surprisingly we found that upon aging these abnormalities attenuated due to a rapid expansion of cells, which escaped or compensated for the down-regulation of beta1 integrin expression. A similar phenomenon was observed in aged mice with a complete, skin-specific ablation of the beta1 integrin gene, where cells that escaped Cre-mediated recombination repopulated the mutant skin in a very short time period. The expansion of beta1 integrin expressing keratinocytes was even further accelerated in situations of increased keratinocyte proliferation such as wound healing. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These data demonstrate that expression of beta1 integrins is critically important for the expansion of epidermal progenitor cells to maintain epidermal homeostasis.
Original language | English |
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Journal | PLoS ONE |
Volume | 4 |
Issue number | 5 |
Pages (from-to) | e5488 |
ISSN | 1932-6203 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2009 |
Bibliographical note
Keywords: Aging; Alleles; Animals; Antigens, CD29; Cell Adhesion; Cell Count; Cell Proliferation; Codon, Nonsense; Crosses, Genetic; Epidermis; Female; Gene Deletion; Genotype; Heterozygote; Integrases; Keratin-5; Keratinocytes; Male; Mice; Phenotype; Recombination, Genetic; Signal Transduction; Skin; Stem Cells
ID: 12866268