The skin interfollicular epidermis (IFE) is the first barrier against the external environment and its maintenance is critical for survival. Two seemingly opposite theories have been proposed to explain IFE homeostasis. One posits that IFE is maintained by a long-lived slow-cycling stem cell (SC) population that give rise to short-lived transit-amplifying (TA) cell progeny, while the other suggests that homeostasis is achieved by a single committed progenitor (CP) that balances stochastic fate. Here, we probed the cellular heterogeneity within the IFE using two different inducible CREER targeting IFE progenitors. Quantitative analysis of clonal fate data and proliferation dynamics demonstrate the existence of two distinct proliferative cell compartments composed of slow-cycling SC and CP, both of which undergo population asymmetric self-renewal. However, following wounding, only SCs contribute substantially to the repair and long-term regeneration of the tissue, while CP cells make a minimal and transient contribution.
Distinct contribution of stem and progenitor cells to epidermal maintenance.
Specimen part
View SamplesAnalysis of the transcriptional profiles of mRNA and microRNA in Rasless fibroblasts. 4-Hydroxy-tamoxifen (4-OHT) treatment triggers removal of K-Ras expression in [H-Ras-/-;N-Ras-/-;K-Raslox/lox;RERTert/ert ] mouse fibroblasts (named K-Raslox) generating Rasless MEFs which are unable to proliferate, but recover proliferative ability after ectopic expression of constitutively active downstream kinases such as BRAF and MEK1.
Reversible, interrelated mRNA and miRNA expression patterns in the transcriptome of Rasless fibroblasts: functional and mechanistic implications.
Specimen part, Cell line, Treatment
View SamplesDespite its key role in Alzheimer pathogenesis, the physiological function(s) of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) and of its proteolytic fragments are still poorly understood. The secreted APPs ectodomain has been shown to be involved in neuroprotection and synaptic plasticity. The -secretase generated APP intracellular domain, AICD, functions as a transcriptional regulator in heterologous reporter assays although its role for endogenous gene regulation has remained controversial. Previously, we have generated APPs knockin (KI) mice expressing solely the secreted ectodomain APPs. Here, we generated double mutants (APPs-DM) by crossing APPs-KI mice onto an APLP2-deficient background and show that APPs rescues the postnatal lethality of the majority of APP/APLP2 double knockout mice. Despite normal CNS morphology and unaltered basal synaptic transmission, young APPs-DM mice already showed pronounced hippocampal dysfunction, impaired spatial learning and a deficit in LTP. To gain further mechanistic insight into which domains/proteolytic fragments are crucial for hippocampal APP/APLP2 mediated functions, we performed a DNA microarray transcriptome profiling of prefrontal cortex and hippocampus of adult APLP2-KO (APLP2-/-) and APPs-DM mice (APP/APLP2-/- mice).Interestingly, this analysis failed to reveal major genotype-related transcriptional differences. Expression differences between cortex and hippocampus were, however, readily detectable.
APP and APLP2 are essential at PNS and CNS synapses for transmission, spatial learning and LTP.
Sex, Specimen part
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