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Functionally distinct melanocyte populations revealed by reconstitution of hair follicles in mice
Author(s) -
Aoki Hitomi,
Hara Akira,
Motohashi Tsutomu,
Osawa Masatake,
Kunisada Takahiro
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
pigment cell and melanoma research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.618
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1755-148X
pISSN - 1755-1471
DOI - 10.1111/j.1755-148x.2010.00801.x
Subject(s) - melanocyte , hair follicle , biology , dermal papillae , follicular phase , follicular cell , epidermis (zoology) , microbiology and biotechnology , hair cycle , melanin , follicle , endocrinology , anatomy , melanoma , cancer research , genetics
Summary Hair follicle reconstitution analysis was used to test the contribution of melanocytes or their precursors to regenerated hair follicles. In this study, we first confirmed the process of chimeric hair follicle regeneration by both hair keratinocytes and follicular melanocytes. Then, as first suggested from the differential growth requirements of epidermal skin melanocytes and non‐cutaneous or dermal melanocytes, we confirmed the inability of the latter to be involved as follicular melanocytes to regenerate hair follicles during the hair reconstitution assay. This clear functional discrimination between non‐cutaneous or dermal melanocytes and epidermal melanocytes suggests the presence of two different melanocyte cell lineages, a finding that might be important in the pathogenesis of melanocyte‐related diseases and melanomas.