Abstract
The mature hair follicle undergoes a unique developmental cycle, in which phases of growth are interspersed with phases of involution and rest. The main effectors of this cycle are skin epithelial stem cells that reside in a specialized compartment of the follicle. Defects in this cycle, or in the structure of the hair produced, often result in alopecia (partial or complete hair loss), a condition that affects a significant fraction of the population. Here we discuss transgenic mouse models that exhibit alopecia as a primary phenotype, resulting from the inactivation of genes encoding structural proteins.
Publication types
-
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
-
Review
MeSH terms
-
Alopecia / genetics*
-
Alopecia / physiopathology
-
Animals
-
Cathepsins / genetics
-
Cell Adhesion Molecules / genetics
-
DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
-
Forkhead Transcription Factors
-
Hair Follicle / growth & development*
-
Hair Follicle / pathology
-
Homeodomain Proteins / genetics
-
Keratins / genetics
-
Mice
-
Mice, Knockout
-
Mice, Transgenic
-
Models, Animal
-
Transcription Factors / genetics
Substances
-
Cell Adhesion Molecules
-
DNA-Binding Proteins
-
Forkhead Transcription Factors
-
Homeodomain Proteins
-
Hoxc13 protein, mouse
-
Transcription Factors
-
Whn protein
-
Keratins
-
Cathepsins