RGD Reference Report - Osteopontin gene is expressed in the dermal papilla of pelage follicles in a hair-cycle-dependent manner. - Rat Genome Database

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Osteopontin gene is expressed in the dermal papilla of pelage follicles in a hair-cycle-dependent manner.

Authors: Yu, DW  Yang, T  Sonoda, T  Gong, Y  Cao, Q  Gaffney, K  Jensen, PJ  Freedberg, IM  Lavker, RM  Sun, TT 
Citation: Yu DW, etal., J Invest Dermatol 2001 Dec;117(6):1554-8.
RGD ID: 1299048
Pubmed: PMID:11886522   (View Abstract at PubMed)
DOI: DOI:10.1046/j.0022-202x.2001.01568.x   (Journal Full-text)

Hair follicle formation and maintenance involve intimate interactions between follicular epithelial cells and a group of specialized mesenchymal cells known as the dermal papilla. Using the random primer polymerase chain reaction, we have identified an approximately 1.4 kb osteopontin mRNA that is present in large quantities in cultured rat vibrissa dermal papilla cells but undetectable in cultured rat skin fibroblasts. In situ hybridization showed that the osteopontin gene is expressed in dermal papilla cells of pelage follicles during catagen but not in anagen or telogen. As an acidic glycosylated RGD-containing extracellular matrix protein, osteopontin can function both as a cell attachment protein and as a soluble cytokine playing roles in signaling, cell migration, tissue survival, anti-inflammation, and T-cell-mediated cellular immunity. Our results indicate that the comparison of the mRNA of cultured dermal papilla cells and fibroblasts can lead to the identification of not only anagen-specific genes (e.g., nexin 1), but also a catagen-specific gene. We have thus provided evidence that specific genes are turned on during catagen, which is therefore not simply a passive "degenerative" phase. The functional role of osteopontin in catagen is unclear but it may promote the formation of a tightly aggregated dermal papilla, and/or protect the dermal papilla cells from apoptosis induced by cytokines or hypoxia during catagen.

Objects referenced in this article
Gene Spp1 secreted phosphoprotein 1 Rattus norvegicus

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