Lgr6 Marks Stem Cells in the Hair Follicle That Generate All Cell Lineages of the Skin

作者：Hugo J.G. Snippert, Andrea Haegebarth, Maria Kasper, Viljar Jaks, Johan H. van Es, Nick Barker, Marc van de Wetering, Maaike van den Born, Harry Begthel, Robert G.J. Vries, Daniel E. Stange, Rune Toftgård, Hans C. Clevers · 发表于：Science · 年份：2010 · DOI：10.1126/science.1184733 · 被引用次数：762 · 研究领域：Hair Growth and Disorders、Wnt/β-catenin signaling in development and cancer、Wound Healing and Treatments

Mammalian epidermis consists of three self-renewing compartments: the hair follicle, the sebaceous gland, and the interfollicular epidermis. We generated knock-in alleles of murine Lgr6, a close relative of the Lgr5 stem cell gene. Lgr6 was expressed in the earliest embryonic hair placodes. In adult hair follicles, Lgr6+ cells resided in a previously uncharacterized region directly above the follicle bulge. They expressed none of the known bulge stem cell markers. Prenatal Lgr6+ cells established the hair follicle, sebaceous gland, and interfollicular epidermis. Postnatally, Lgr6+ cells generated sebaceous gland and interfollicular epidermis, whereas contribution to hair lineages gradually diminished with age. Adult Lgr6+ cells executed long-term wound repair, including the formation of new hair follicles. We conclude that Lgr6 marks the most primitive epidermal stem cell.