Wnt5a attenuates Wnt/β-catenin signalling in human dermal papilla cells

CXCL12+ dermal fibroblasts promote neutrophil recruitment and host defense by recognition of IL-17

The skin provides an essential barrier for host defense through rapid action of multiple resident and recruited cell types, but the complex communication network governing these processes is incompletely understood. To define these cell-cell interactions more clearly, we performed an unbiased network analysis of mouse skin during invasive S. aureus infection and revealed a dominant role for CXCL12+ fibroblast subsets in neutrophil communication. These subsets predominantly reside in the reticular dermis, express adipocyte lineage markers, detect IL-17 and TNFα, and promote robust neutrophil recruitment through NFKBIZ-dependent release of CXCR2 ligands and CXCL12. Targeted deletion of Il17ra in mouse fibroblasts resulted in greatly reduced neutrophil recruitment and increased infection by S. aureus. Analogous human CXCL12+ fibroblast subsets abundantly express neutrophil chemotactic factors in psoriatic skin that are subsequently decreased upon therapeutic targeting of IL-17. These findings show that CXCL12+ dermal immune acting fibroblast subsets play a critical role in cutaneous neutrophil recruitment and host defense.

Effect of Sox18 on the Induction Ability of Dermal Papilla Cells in Hu Sheep

Sox18 is a developmental gene that encodes transcription factors. It has been indicated as be a key gene affecting the growth and development of hair follicles, in which dermal papilla cells (DPCs) have been demonstrated to play an important role through their ability to induce the formation of hair follicles. Pre-laboratory studies have found that Sox18 is differentially expressed in the dermal papilla cells of different pattern types of Hu sheep. We speculated that Sox18 plays an important role in the dermal papilla cells of Hu sheep. In our study, we analyzed the effect of Sox18 on the induction ability of DPCs in order to elucidate the function and molecular mechanism of Sox18 in the DPCs of Hu sheep. We first identified the expression of Sox18 in the DPCs of Hu sheep by immunofluorescence staining. We then used alkaline phosphatase staining, cell morphology observations and RT-PCR to detect the effect of Sox18 on the induction of DPCs after overexpression of or interference with Sox18. We also used RT-PCR, WB and immunofluorescence staining to detect the effect of Sox18 on the Wnt/β-catenin signal pathway in DPCs. We found that Sox18 was specifically expressed in the DPCs of Hu sheep, and that Sox18 could enhance the alkaline phosphatase activity in the DPCs of Hu sheep and accelerate cell agglutination. The results of RT-PCR revealed that Sox18 promoted the mRNA expression of Versican, HHIP and FGFRI, and inhibited the mRNA expression of BMP4 and WIF1. Further studies showed that Sox18 promoted the expression of β-catenin and activated the Wnt/β-catenin signal pathway in DPCs. When the Wnt/β-catenin signal pathway of DPCs was activated, the induction ability of DPCs was enhanced. Overall, we believe that Sox18 could enhance the induction ability of DPCs in Hu sheep and regulate the induction ability of DPCs through the Wnt/β-catenin signal pathway.

Application of extracellular vesicles from mesenchymal stem cells promotes hair growth by regulating human dermal cells and follicles

BACKGROUND

Dermal papillae (DP) and outer root sheath (ORS) cells play important roles in hair growth and regeneration by regulating the activity of hair follicle (HF) cells.

AIM

To investigate the effects of human mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles (hMSC-EVs) on DP and ORS cells as well as HFs. EVs are known to regulate various cellular functions. However, the effects of hMSC-EVs on hair growth, particularly on human-derived HF cells (DP and ORS cells), and the possible mechanisms underlying these effects are unknown.

METHODS

hMSC-EVs were isolated and characterized using transmission electron microscopy, nanoparticle tracking analysis, western blotting, and flow cytometry. The activation of DP and ORS cells was analyzed using cellular proliferation, migration, western blotting, and real-time polymerase chain reaction. HF growth was evaluated ex vivo using human HFs.

RESULTS

Wnt3a is present in a class of hMSC-EVs and associated with the EV membrane. hMSC-EVs promote the proliferation of DP and ORS cells. Moreover, they translocate β-catenin into the nucleus of DP cells by increasing the expression of β-catenin target transcription factors (Axin2, EP2 and LEF1) in DP cells. Treatment with hMSC-EVs also promoted the migration of ORS cells and enhanced the expression of keratin (K) differentiation markers (K6, K16, K17, and K75) in ORS cells. Furthermore, treatment with hMSC-EVs increases hair shaft elongation in cultured human HFs.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that hMSC-EVs are potential candidates for further preclinical and clinical studies on hair loss treatment.

Engineered extracellular vesicle mimetics from macrophage promotes hair growth in mice and promotes human hair follicle growth

Recent studies clearly show that cell-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs, including exosomes) can promote hair growth. However, large-scale production of EVs remains a big hurdle. Recently, extracellular vesicle mimetics (EMs) engineered by extrusion through various membranes are emerging as a complementary approach for large-scale production. In this study, to investigate their ability to induce hair growth, we generated macrophage-engineered EMs (MAC-EMs) that activated the human dermal papilla (DP) cells in vitro. MAC-EMs intradermally injected into the skin of C57BL/6 mice were retained for up to 72 h. Microscopy imaging revealed that MAC-EMs were predominately internalized into hair follicles. The MAC-EMs treatment induced hair regrowth in mice and hair shaft elongation in a human hair follicle, suggesting the potential of MAC-EMs as an alternative to EVs to overcome clinical limitation.

A Wnt5a-Cdc42 axis controls aging and rejuvenation of hair-follicle stem cells

Normal hair growth occurs in cycles, comprising growth (anagen), cessation (catagen) and rest (telogen). Upon aging, the initiation of anagen is significantly delayed, which results in impaired hair regeneration. Hair regeneration is driven by hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs). We show here that aged HFSCs present with a decrease in canonical Wnt signaling and a shift towards non-canonical Wnt5a driven signaling which antagonizes canonical Wnt signaling. Elevated expression of Wnt5a in HFSCs upon aging results in elevated activity of the small RhoGTPase Cdc42 as well as a change in the spatial distribution of Cdc42 within HFSCs. Treatment of aged HFSC with a specific pharmacological inhibitor of Cdc42 activity termed CASIN to suppress the aging-associated elevated activity of Cdc42 restored canonical Wnt signaling in aged HFSCs. Treatment of aged mice in vivo with CASIN induced anagen onset and increased the percentage of anagen skin areas. Aging-associated functional deficits of HFSCs are at least in part intrinsic to HFSCs and can be restored by rational pharmacological approaches.

Human fibroblast-derived extracellular vesicles promote hair growth in cultured human hair follicles

Hair loss is a prevalent medical condition affecting both genders. In this study, we investigate the effects of a specific class of extracellular vesicles (EVs), namely human normal fibroblast-derived EVs (hFB-EVs), on human dermal papilla (DP) and outer root sheath (ORS) cells and examine the molecular mechanisms responsible for hair growth in hair follicles (HFs). We find that Wnt3a, which maintains the hair-generating activity of DP cells, is enriched and more strongly associated with hFB-EVs than with fibroblasts. Furthermore, hFB-EV-associated Wnt3a mediated receptor activation in cultured DP cells, leading to an increase in β-catenin in the cytoplasm and its translocation into the nucleus, thereby elevating expression of the target genes Axin2 and Lef1. Additionally, hFB-EVs promoted the migration, proliferation, and differentiation of ORS cells and elongation of the hair shaft in human HFs. These findings revealed a novel mechanism by which hFB-EVs influence hair growth.

Hair Growth Activity of Three Plants of the Polynesian Cosmetopoeia and Their Regulatory Effect on Dermal Papilla Cells

Hair loss is becoming increasingly prevalent as dietary and living habits change. The search for natural products to limit hair loss has led to tapping into traditional cosmetic knowledge. We studied three plants of the Polynesian cosmetopoeia, Bidens pilosa, Calophyllum inophyllum and Fagraea berteroana, to determine their ability to promote hair growth. Their chemical content was characterized by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Their proliferative activity on dermal papilla cells (DPCs) was assessed via MTT assay and molecular targets were evaluated by RT-qPCR analysis of seven factors involved in the modulation of the hair cycle, CCND1, LEF1, DKK1, WNT5A PPARD, TGFΒ1, PPARD and RSPO2. Our results show that our extracts significantly increased proliferation of dermal papilla cells. Furthermore, LC-MS/MS analysis revealed a diversity of molecules, flavonoids, iridoids and organic acids, some known for hair-inducing properties. Finally, specific extracts and fractions of all three plants either upregulated CCND1, LEF1 and PPARD involved in stimulating hair follicle proliferation and/or lowered the gene expression levels of hair growth inhibiting factors, DKK1 and TGFB1. Our findings suggest that extracts from B. pilosa, C. inophyllum and F. berteroana are interesting candidates to stimulate hair growth.

Macrophage-Derived Extracellular Vesicle Promotes Hair Growth

Hair loss is a common medical problem affecting both males and females. Dermal papilla (DP) cells are the ultimate reservoir of cells with the potential of hair regeneration in hair loss patients. Here, we analyzed the role of macrophage-derived Wnts (3a and 7b) and macrophage extracellular vesicles (MAC-EVs) in promoting hair growth. We studied the proliferation, migration, and expression of growth factors of human-DP cells in the presence or absence of MAC-EVs. Additionally, we tested the effect of MAC-EV treatment on hair growth in a mouse model and human hair follicles. Data from western blot and flow cytometry showed that MAC-EVs were enriched with Wnt3a and Wnt7b, and more than 95% were associated with their membrane. The results suggest that Wnt proteins in MAC-EVs activate the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways, which leads to activation of transcription factors (Axin2 and Lef1). The MAC-EVs significantly enhanced the proliferation, migration, and levels of hair-inductive markers of DP cells. Additionally, MAC-EVs phosphorylated AKT and increased the levels of the survival protein Bcl-2. The DP cells treated with MAC-EVs showed increased expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and keratinocyte growth factor (KGF). Treatment of Balb/c mice with MAC-EVs promoted hair follicle (HF) growth in vivo and also increased hair shaft size in a short period in human HFs. Our findings suggest that MAC-EV treatment could be clinically used as a promising novel anagen inducer in the treatment of hair loss.

Dengue Virus Infects Primary Human Hair Follicle Dermal Papilla Cells

During the epidemic of the dengue virus (DENV) infection in Taiwan in 2014 and 2015, we observed an abnormally high frequency of increased scalp hair shedding in infected individuals that could not be explained by telogen effluvium. In this study, the mechanism of hair loss caused by DENV was explored. Human hair follicle dermal papilla cells (HFDPCs) are essential for hair follicle morphogenesis and cycling. Thus, we established an in vitro DENV infection model in HFDPCs. On immunofluorescence analysis, HFDPCs that were susceptible to DENV infection responded to type I interferon (IFN) treatment, and the cells showed antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) effect. The expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines, interleukin 6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), revealed an inflammatory response in DENV-infected HFDPCs. In particular, DENV infection impaired cell viability, and it activated caspase-associated cell death signaling in HFDPCs. In conclusion, our data indicate that direct infection with DENV causes inflammation and cell death in HFDPCs, which is involved in the mechanisms of hair loss after DENV infection. The knowledge of DENV infection in an immune-privileged tissue, such as hair follicles, may suggest their use for further studies on post-dengue fatigue syndrome (PDFS).

MicroRNA-1253 suppresses cell proliferation and invasion of non-small-cell lung carcinoma by targeting WNT5A

MicroRNAs (miRNA) are a class of small, noncoding RNA molecules that regulate the expression of target genes. miRNA dysregulation is involved in carcinogenesis and tumor progression. In this study, we identified microRNA-1253 (miR-1253) as being significantly down-regulated in non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) tissues and associated with advanced clinical stage, lymph node metastasis, and poor survival. The enhanced expression of miR-1253 significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of NSCLC cells in vitro. Bioinformatics analyses showed that miR-1253 directly targeted WNT5A (long isoform), which was confirmed using the dual-luciferase reporter assay. The inhibitory effects of miR-1253 on the growth and metastasis of NSCLC cells were attenuated and phenocopied by WNT5A (long) overexpression and knockdown, respectively. Consistent with the in vitro results, subcutaneous tumor and metastatic NSCLC mouse models showed that miR-1253 functions as a potent suppressor of NSCLC in vivo. Taken together, our findings indicated that miR-1253 inhibited the proliferation and metastasis of NSCLC cells by targeting WNT5A (long isoform) and provided new evidence of miR-1253 as a potential therapeutic target in NSCLC.

The role of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in melanoma epithelial-to-mesenchymal-like switching: evidences from patients-derived cell lines

Deregulations or mutations of WNT/β-catenin signaling have been associated to both tumour formation and progression. However, contradictory results concerning the role of β-catenin in human melanoma address an open question on its oncogenic nature and prognostic value in this tumour. Changes in WNT signaling pathways have been linked to phenotype switching of melanoma cells between a highly proliferative/non-invasive and a slow proliferative/metastatic condition. We used a novel panel of cell lines isolated from melanoma specimens, at initial passages, to investigate phenotype differences related to the levels and activity of WNT/β-catenin signaling pathway. This in vitro cell system revealed a marked heterogeneity that comprises, in some cases, two distinct tumour-derived subpopulations of cells presenting a different activation level and cellular distribution of β-catenin. In cells derived from the same tumor, we demonstrated that the prevalence of LEF1 (high β-catenin expressing cells) or TCF4 (low β-catenin expressing cells) as β-catenin partner for DNA binding, is associated to the expression of two distinct profiles of WNT-responsive genes. Interestingly, melanoma cells expressing relative low level of β-catenin and an invasive markers signature were associated to the TNF-α-induced pro-inflammatory pathway and to the chemotherapy resistance, suggesting that the co-existence of melanoma subpopulations with distinct biological properties could influence the impact of chemo- and immunotherapy.

Roles of the Hedgehog Signaling Pathway in Epidermal and Hair Follicle Development, Homeostasis, and Cancer

The epidermis is the outermost layer of the skin and provides a protective barrier against environmental insults. It is a rapidly-renewing tissue undergoing constant regeneration, maintained by several types of stem cells. The Hedgehog (HH) signaling pathway is one of the fundamental signaling pathways that contributes to epidermal development, homeostasis, and repair, as well as to hair follicle development and follicle bulge stem cell maintenance. The HH pathway interacts with other signal transduction pathways, including those activated by Wnt, bone morphogenetic protein, platelet-derived growth factor, Notch, and ectodysplasin. Furthermore, aberrant activation of HH signaling is associated with various tumors, including basal cell carcinoma. Therefore, an understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of the HH signaling pathway is important for elucidating fundamental mechanisms underlying both organogenesis and carcinogenesis. In this review, we discuss the role of the HH signaling pathway in the development and homeostasis epidermis and hair follicles, and in basal cell carcinoma formation, providing an update of current knowledge in this field.

Gsdma3 regulates hair follicle differentiation via Wnt5a-mediated non-canonical Wnt signaling pathway

Hair follicle is a mini-organ that consists of complex but well-organized structures, which are differentiated from hair follicle progenitor or stem cells. How non-canonical Wnt signaling pathway is involved in regulating hair follicle differentiation remains elusive. Here we showed that Wnt5a regulates hair follicle differentiation through an epithelial-mesenchymal interaction mechanism in mice. We first observed that Wnt5a is expressed in the epithelial and dermal papilla cells during hair follicle development and growth. For the upstream of Wnt5a, RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry staining showed that Wnt5a expression is significantly decreased in the Gsdma3-mutant mice in vivo. Overexpression of Gsdma3 results in a significantly increased expression of Wnt5a in the cultured epidermal cells in vitro. We also checked the downstream factors of Wnt5a by adenovirus-mediated overexpression of Wnt5a to the dermal papilla cells isolated from the mouse whisker. We found that overexpression of Wnt5a suppresses canonical Wnt signaling pathway effectors such as β-catenin and Lef1. In addition, genes involved in maintaining cell quiescent state are also significantly decreased in their expression to the DP cells which were treated by Wnt5a. Our study indicates that Wnt5a mediates epithelia-expressed Gsdma3 to influence DP cell behaviors, which in turn regulate hair follicle epithelia differentiation in mice.

Androgens modify Wnt agonists/antagonists expression balance in dermal papilla cells preventing hair follicle stem cell differentiation in androgenetic alopecia

In androgenetic alopecia, androgens impair dermal papilla-induced hair follicle stem cell (HFSC) differentiation inhibiting Wnt signaling. Wnt agonists/antagonists balance was analyzed after dihydrotestosterone (DHT) stimulation in androgen-sensitive dermal papilla cells (DPC) cultured as spheroids or monolayer. In both culture conditions, DHT stimulation downregulated Wnt5a and Wnt10b mRNA while the Wnt antagonist Dkk-1 was upregulated. Notably, tissue architecture of DPC-spheroids lowers Dkk-1 and enhances Wnt agonists' basal expression; probably contributing to DPC inductivity. The role of Wnt agonists/antagonists as mediators of androgen inhibition of DPC-induced HFSC differentiation was evaluated. Inductive DPC-conditioned medium supplemented with DKK-1 impaired HFSC differentiation mimicking androgens' action. This effect was associated with inactivation of Wnt/β-catenin pathway in differentiating HFSC by both DPC-conditioned media. Moreover, addition of WNT10b to DPC-medium conditioned with DHT, overcame androgen inhibition of HFSC differentiation. Our results identify DKK1 and WNT10b as paracrine factors which modulate the HFSC differentiation inhibition involved in androgen-driven balding.

DAAM1 and DAAM2 are co-required for myocardial maturation and sarcomere assembly

Wnt ligands regulate heart morphogenesis but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Two Formin-related proteins, DAAM1 and 2, were previously found to bind the Wnt effector Disheveled. Here, since DAAM1 and 2 nucleate actin and mediate Wnt-induced cytoskeletal changes, a floxed-allele of Daam1 was used to disrupt its function specifically in the myocardium and investigate Wnt-associated pathways. Homozygous Daam1 conditional knockout (CKO) mice were viable but had misshapen hearts and poor cardiac function. The defects in Daam1 CKO mice were observed by mid-gestation and were associated with a loss of protrusions from cardiomyocytes invading the outflow tract. Further, these mice exhibited noncompaction cardiomyopathy (NCM) and deranged cardiomyocyte polarity. Interestingly, Daam1 CKO mice that were also homozygous for an insertion disrupting Daam2 (DKO) had stronger NCM, severely reduced cardiac function, disrupted sarcomere structure, and increased myocardial proliferation, suggesting that DAAM1 and DAAM2 have redundant functions. While RhoA was unaffected in the hearts of Daam1/2 DKO mice, AKT activity was lower than in controls, raising the issue of whether DAAM1/2 are only mediating Wnt signaling. Daam1-floxed mice were thus bred to Wnt5a null mice to identify genetic interactions. The hearts of Daam1 CKO mice that were also heterozygous for the null allele of Wnt5a had stronger NCM and more severe loss of cardiac function than Daam1 CKO mice, consistent with DAAM1 and Wnt5a acting in a common pathway. However, deleting Daam1 further disrupted Wnt5a homozygous-null hearts, suggesting that DAAM1 also has Wnt5a-independent roles in cardiac development.

Hair type-specific function of canonical Wnt activity in adult mouse skin

Wnt/β-catenin signalling is a key regulator of hair follicle (HF) morphogenesis and life-long HF regeneration. In a recently published issue of Experimental Dermatology, Lei et al. report that sustained WNT10B supply and pathway activation in regenerating mouse HF increased the width of hair bulbs, hair shafts and the dermal papilla (DP), and enlarged the CD34(+) HF bulge cell compartment. Notably, WNT10B affected primarily zigzag HFs, while size and morphology of other HF types remained largely unaffected. Thus, these findings raise a number of questions regarding a HF type-specific function of Wnt/β-catenin and on the role of the WNT-stimulated DP in this process.

Wnt3a Mediates the Inhibitory Effect of Hyperoxia on the Transdifferentiation of AECIIs to AECIs

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of Wnt3a in the transdifferentiation of type II alveolar epithelial cells (AECIIs) to type I alveolar epithelial cells (AECIs) under hyperoxia condition. In the in vivo study, preterm rats were exposed in hyperoxia for 21 days. In the in vitro study, primary rat AECIIs were subjected to a hyperoxia and normoxia exposure alternatively every 24 hr for 7 days. siRNA-mediated knockout of Wnt3a and exogenous Wnt3a were used to investigate the effect of Wnt3a on transdifferentiation of AECIIs to AECIs. Wnt5a-overexpressed AECIIs were also used to investigate whether Wnt3a could counteract the effect of Wnt5a. The results showed that hyperoxia induced alveolar damage in the lung of preterm born rats, as well as an increased expression of Wnt3a and nuclear accumulation of β-catenin. In addition, Wnt3a/β-catenin signaling was activated in isolated AECIIs after hyperoxia exposure. Wnt3a knockout blocked the inhibition of the transdifferentiation induced by hyperoxia, and Wnt3a addition exacerbated this inhibition. Furthermore, Wnt3a addition blocked the transdifferentiation-promoting effect of Wnt5a in hyperoxia-exposed Wnt5a-overexpressed AECIIs. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that the activated Wnt3a/β-catenin signal may be involved in the hyperoxia-induced inhibition of AECIIs' transdifferentiation to AECIs.

Mouse hair cycle expression dynamics modeled as coupled mesenchymal and epithelial oscillators

The hair cycle is a dynamic process where follicles repeatedly move through phases of growth, retraction, and relative quiescence. This process is an example of temporal and spatial biological complexity. Understanding of the hair cycle and its regulation would shed light on many other complex systems relevant to biological and medical research. Currently, a systematic characterization of gene expression and summarization within the context of a mathematical model is not yet available. Given the cyclic nature of the hair cycle, we felt it was important to consider a subset of genes with periodic expression. To this end, we combined several mathematical approaches with high-throughput, whole mouse skin, mRNA expression data to characterize aspects of the dynamics and the possible cell populations corresponding to potentially periodic patterns. In particular two gene clusters, demonstrating properties of out-of-phase synchronized expression, were identified. A mean field, phase coupled oscillator model was shown to quantitatively recapitulate the synchronization observed in the data. Furthermore, we found only one configuration of positive-negative coupling to be dynamically stable, which provided insight on general features of the regulation. Subsequent bifurcation analysis was able to identify and describe alternate states based on perturbation of system parameters. A 2-population mixture model and cell type enrichment was used to associate the two gene clusters to features of background mesenchymal populations and rapidly expanding follicular epithelial cells. Distinct timing and localization of expression was also shown by RNA and protein imaging for representative genes. Taken together, the evidence suggests that synchronization between expanding epithelial and background mesenchymal cells may be maintained, in part, by inhibitory regulation, and potential mediators of this regulation were identified. Furthermore, the model suggests that impairing this negative regulation will drive a bifurcation which may represent transition into a pathological state such as hair miniaturization.

The hair cycle represents a complex process of particular interest in the study of regulated proliferation, apoptosis and differentiation. While various modeling strategies are presented in the literature, none attempt to link extensive molecular details, provided by high-throughput experiments, with high-level, system properties. Thus, we re-analyzed a previously published mRNA expression time course study and found that we could readily identify a sizeable subset of genes that was expressed in synchrony with the hair cycle itself. The data is summarized in a dynamic, mathematical model of coupled oscillators. We demonstrate that a particular coupling scheme is sufficient to explain the observed synchronization. Further analysis associated specific expression patterns to general yet distinct cell populations, background mesenchymal and rapidly expanding follicular epithelial cells. Experimental imaging results are presented to show the localization of candidate genes from each population. Taken together, the results describe a possible mechanism for regulation between epithelial and mesenchymal populations. We also described an alternate state similar to hair miniaturization, which is predicted by the oscillator model. This study exemplifies the strengths of combining systems-level analysis with high-throughput experimental data to obtain a novel view of a complex system such as the hair cycle.

Wnt and planar cell polarity signaling in cystic renal disease

Cystic kidney diseases can cause end stage renal disease, affecting millions of individuals worldwide. They may arise early or later in life, are characterized by a spectrum of symptoms and can be caused by diverse genetic defects. The primary cilium, a microtubule-based organelle that can serve as a signaling antenna, has been demonstrated to have a significant role in ensuring correct kidney development and function. In the kidney, one of the signaling pathways that requires the cilium for normal development is Wnt signaling. In this review, the roles of primary cilia in relation to canonical and non-canonical Wnt/PCP signaling in cystic renal disease are described. The evidence of the associations between cilia, Wnt signaling and cystic renal disease is discussed and the significance of planar cell polarity-related mechanisms in cystic kidney disease is presented. Although defective Wnt signaling is not the only cause of renal disease, research is increasingly highlighting its importance, encouraging the development of Wnt-associated diagnostic and prognostic tools for cystic renal disease.

Transcriptome sequencing reveals differences between primary and secondary hair follicle-derived dermal papilla cells of the Cashmere goat (Capra hircus)

The dermal papilla is thought to establish the character and control the size of hair follicles. Inner Mongolia Cashmere goats (Capra hircus) have a double coat comprising the primary and secondary hair follicles, which have dramatically different sizes and textures. The Cashmere goat is rapidly becoming a potent model for hair follicle morphogenesis research. In this study, we established two dermal papilla cell lines during the anagen phase of the hair growth cycle from the primary and secondary hair follicles and clarified the similarities and differences in their morphology and growth characteristics. High-throughput transcriptome sequencing was used to identify gene expression differences between the two dermal papilla cell lines. Many of the differentially expressed genes are involved in vascularization, ECM-receptor interaction and Wnt/β-catenin/Lef1 signaling pathways, which intimately associated with hair follicle morphogenesis. These findings provide valuable information for research on postnatal morphogenesis of hair follicles.