Yizhan Xing

Adenovirus-Mediated Wnt10b Overexpression Induces Hair Follicle Regeneration

Hair follicles periodically undergo regeneration. The balance between activators and inhibitors may determine the time required for telogen hair follicles to reenter anagen. We previously reported that Wnt10b (wingless-type mouse mammary tumor virus integration site family member 10b) could promote the growth of hair follicles in vitro. To unveil the roles of Wnt10b in hair follicle regeneration, we established an in vivo mouse model using intradermal injection. On the basis of this model, we found that Wnt10b could induce the biological switch of hair follicles from telogen to anagen when overexpressed in the skin. The induced hair follicles expressed structure markers and could cycle normally into catagen. Conversely, anagen onset was abrogated by the knockdown of Wnt10b with small interfering RNA (siRNA). The Wnt10b aberrant expression data suggest that it is one of the activators of hair follicle regeneration. The β-catenin protein is translocated to the nucleus in Wnt10b-induced hair follicles. The biological effects of Wnt10b were abrogated when β-catenin expression was downregulated with siRNA. These data revealed that Wnt10b might induce hair follicle regeneration in vivo via the enhanced activation of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway. To our knowledge, our data provide previously unreported insights into the regulation of hair follicle cycling and provide potential therapeutic targets for hair follicle-related diseases.

Wnt3a promotes melanin synthesis of mouse hair follicle melanocytes

Although the importance of Wnt3a in melanocyte development has been well recognized, the effect of Wnt3a in normal HF melanocytes has not been clearly elucidated yet. Thus, we sought to examine the presence and location of Wnt3a in HF during hair cycle. By using melanocyte-targeted Dct-LacZ transgenic mice, we found that Wnt3a signaling is activated in mouse HF melanocytes during anagen of hair cycle. To further explore the potential functions of Wnt3a in mouse melanocytes, we infected melan-a cells with AdWnt3a to serve as the production source of Wnt3a protein. We demonstrated that Wnt3a promoted melanogenesis through upregulation of MITF and its downstream genes, tyrosinase and TRP1, in melanocytes. In vivo, AdWnt3a rescued the effects of AdsimMITF on HF melanocytes and promoted melanin synthesis. Our results suggest that Wnt3a plays an important role in mouse HF melanocytes homeostasis.

Immunolocalization of Wnt5a during the hair cycle and its role in hair shaft growth in mice.

Previous studies have shown that the Wnt signaling pathway plays an important role in the growth and development of hair follicles. It has been generally accepted that Wnt5a, a non-canonical Wnt gene, inhibits the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Several reports have addressed its mRNA expression in embryonic and postnatal hair follicles, but its exact role in the growth of hair follicles is currently unknown. In this study, we investigated the immunolocalization of Wnt5a protein in pelages of the dorsal skin and whisker follicles of mice. We found that in the anagen phase, dermal papilla cells showed the highest staining levels of Wnt5a protein, while in the catagen and the telogen phases the staining levels were lower. During the growth stage, Wnt5a protein was prominently located in the matrix and precortex cells in addition to the inner root sheath, outer root sheath and the dermal papilla. As the hair cycle progresses, the immunostaining of Wnt5a was gradually decreased in the catagen phase and was located in the bulge and secondary hair germ in the telogen phase. This Wnt5a immunostaining profile was consistent between dorsal skin pelages and whisker follicles. Furthermore, in an in vitro study using whisker follicle organ culture, we demonstrated that the growth of the hair shaft was significantly inhibited by adenovirus Wnt5a. Our findings suggest that Wnt5a is a dynamic factor in the hair cycle and it is important for the regulation of hair shaft growth.

Wnt10b promotes differentiation of mouse hair follicle melanocytes.

Previous research has revealed that Wnt10b activates canonical Wnt signaling, which is integral to melanocyte differentiation in hair follicles (HFs). However, the function of Wnt10b in HF melanocytes remains poorly understood. We determined using Dct-LacZ transgenic mice that Wnt10b is mainly expressed near and within melanocytes of the hair bulbs during the anagen stage of the hair cycle. We also found that Wnt10b promotes an increase in melanocyte maturation and pigmentation in the hair bulbs of the mouse HF. To further explore the potential functions of Wnt10b in mouse HF melanocytes, we infected iMC23 cells with Ad-Wnt10b to overexpress Wnt10b. We demonstrated that Wnt10b promotes the differentiation of melanocytes by activating canonical Wnt signaling in melanocytes.

Wnt3a inhibits proliferation but promotes melanogenesis of melan-a cells

Melanocytes are pigment-producing cells responsible for coloration of skin and hair. Although the importance of Wnt3a in melanocyte development has been well recognized, the role of Wnt3a in mature melanocytes has not been elucidated. This study was conducted to further explore the effects of Wnt3a on melanocyte proliferation and melanogenesis, and to elucidate the possible mechanisms involved. We infected melan-a cells with AdWnt3a to serve as the production source of the Wnt3a protein. MTT assay, 5-bromodeoxyuridine incorporation assay and flow cytometric analysis showed that Wnt3a inhibited the proliferation of melan-a cells and this was associated with decrease of cells in the S phase and increase of cells in the G(1) phase. Melanin content and tyrosinase activity assay revealed that Wnt3a significantly promoted melanogenesis of melan-a cells. Furthermore, western blot analysis showed that Wnt3a upregulated the expression of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor and its downstream target genes, tyrosinase and tyrosinase-related protein 1 in melan-a cells. Collectively, our results suggest that Wnt3a plays an important role in melanocyte homeostasis.

Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway activates melanocyte stem cells in vitro and in vivo.

BACKGROUND Melanocyte stem cells (McSCs) are the origin of melanocytes that are periodically refreshed in skin and hair follicle. Previously, we reported that Wnt3a could promote melanogenesis, but the mechanism of McSCs activation remains unclear. OBJECTIVE We aimed to illustrate the roles of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway during McSC activation. METHODS Adenovirus-mediated overexpression of Wnt3a and Wnt10b were used. In vitro experiments were performed on the immortalized melanocyte progenitor cell line iMC23, wheres in vivo experiments were performed in Dct-LacZ mice. Immunofluorescence and western blot were used to determine the protein expression. RESULTS Wnt3a promotes the differentiation and melanogenesis of iMC23, by activating Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Wnt3a induces hair follicle regeneration and McSC activation. Detailed analysis indicats that Wnt3a activated Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, thus promoting the differentiation of McSCs during this process. Wnt10b, another canonical Wnt signaling ligand, induces hair follicle regeneration and McSC activation as well. CONCLUSION Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway activates McSCs both in vitro and in vivo.

Adenovirus-Mediated Wnt5a Expression Inhibits the Telogen-To-Anagen Transition of Hair Follicles in Mice

The canonical Wnt/β-catenin pathway plays an important role in hair cycle induction. Wnt5a is a non-canonical Wnt family member that generally antagonizes canonical Wnt signaling in other systems. In hair follicles, Wnt5a and canonical Wnt are both expressed in cells in the telogen stage. Wnt5a has been shown to be critical for controlling hair cell fate. However, the role that Wnt5a plays in the transition from the telogen to anagen stage is unknown. In this study, using whole-mount in situ hybridization, we show that Wnt5a is produced by several other cell types, excluding dermal papilla cells, throughout the hair cycle. For example, Wnt5a is expressed in bulge and secondary hair germ cells in the telogen stage. Our studies focused on the depilated 8-week-old mouse as a synchronized model of hair growth. Interestingly, overexpression of adenovirus Wnt5a in the dorsal skin of mice led to the elongation of the telogen stage and inhibition of the initiation of the anagen stage. However, following an extended period of time, four pelage hair types grew from hairless skin that was induced by Wnt5a, and the structure of these new hair shafts was normal. Using microarray analysis and quantitative arrays, we showed that the expression of β-catenin and some target genes of canonical Wnt signaling decreased after Wnt5a treatment. These data demonstrate that Wnt5a may inhibit the telogen stage to maintain a quiescent state of the hair follicle.

Wnt/β-catenin signaling promotes aging-associated hair graying in mice

Canities is an obvious sign of aging in mouse and human, shown as hair graying. Melanocytes in the hair follicle show cyclic activity with hair cycling, which transitions from anagen, catagen to telogen. How the hairs turn gray during aging is not completely uncovered. Here, by using immunostaining and LacZ staining in Dct-LacZ mice, we show that β-catenin is expressed in melanocytes during hair cycling. RT-PCR, western blot and immunostaining show that β-catenin expression is significantly increased in both anagen and telogen skin of aged mice, when compared to the anagen and telogen skin of young mice, respectively. Overexpression of Wnt10b not only accelerates hair follicle to enter anagen phase, but also promotes melanocytes differentiation in young adult mice (2-month old), with increased β-catenin expression in melanocytes at the secondary hair germ and matrix region of regenerated hair follicles. Overexpression of Wnt10b also promotes melanocyte progenitor cells differentiation in vitro. Our data suggest that increased Wnt signaling promotes excessive differentiation of melanocytes, leading to exhaustion of melanocyte stem cells and eventually canities in aged mice.

Wnt5a Suppresses β-catenin Signaling during Hair Follicle Regeneration

Hair follicles display periodic growth. Wnt signaling is a critical regulator for hair follicle regeneration. Previously, we reported that Wnt5a inhibits the telogen-to-anagen transition of hair follicles, but the mechanism by which this process occurs has not yet been reported. Here, we determined the expression patterns of Wnt signaling pathway molecules by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, western blot, and immunohistochemistry and found that β-catenin signaling was suppressed by Wnt5a. We then compared the phenotypes and expression patterns following β-catenin knockdown and Wnt5a overexpression during hair follicle regeneration induced by hair depilation and observed similar patterns. In addition, we performed a rescue experiment in the JB6 cell line and found that the inhibitory effect of Wnt5a on cell proliferation could be rescued by the addition of Wnt3a. Our data reveal that Wnt5a suppresses the activation of β-catenin signaling during hair follicle regeneration.

Paracrine Secreted Frizzled-Related Protein 4 Inhibits Melanocytes Differentiation in Hair Follicle

Wnt signaling plays crucial role in regulating melanocyte stem cells/melanocyte differentiation in the hair follicle. However, how the Wnt signaling is balanced to be overactivated to control follicular melanocytes behavior remains unknown. Here, by using immunofluorescence staining, we showed that secreted frizzled-related protein 4 (sFRP4) is preferentially expressed in the skin epidermal cells rather than in melanocytes. By overexpression of sFRP4 in skin cells in vivo and in vitro, we found that sFRP4 attenuates activation of Wnt signaling, resulting in decrease of melanocytes differentiation in the regenerating hair follicle. Our findings unveiled a new regulator that involves modulating melanocytes differentiation through a paracrine mechanism in hair follicle, supplying a hope for potential therapeutic application to treat skin pigmentation disorders.