|
|
|
The genetic signals that explain why bits of us are hairy, and bits of us are not, are described in this week's Nature (Vol. 422, No. 6929, 20 March 2003, pp. 317-322). Three steps are needed to turn skin stem cells into hair follicles, rather than other cell types. Elaine Fuchs of Rockefeller University, New York City, and colleagues have found that a skin stem cell must first receive two signals from its neighbours. These activate elements in the cell's nucleus, which in turn lower levels of a protein, E-cadherin. This changes the shape of the junctions that separate cells, allowing a pit to form in the skin – the third step - and a hair follicle to form.
In an accompanying News and Views article, Yann Barrandon of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland, discusses the background and implications of this work. Contact: Elaine Fuchs
Tel: +1 212 327 7953
E-mail: fuchs@rockefeller.edu Colin Jamora (senior author)
Tel: +1 212 327 7481
E-mail: jamorac@rockefeller.edu Yann Barrandon
Tel: +41 21 314 24 60
E-mail: yann.barrandon@epfl.ch (C) Nature press release.
Message posted by: Trevor M. D'Souza
|
|
Variants Associated with Pediatric Allergic Disorder
Mutations in PHF6 Found in T-Cell Leukemia
Genetic Risk Variant for Urinary Bladder Cancer
Antibody Has Therapeutic Effect on Mice with ALS
Regulating P53 Activity in Cancer Cells
Anti-RNA Therapy Counters Breast Cancer Spread
Mitochondrial DNA Diversity
The Power of RNA Sequencing
‘Pro-Ageing' Therapy for Cancer?
Niche Genetics Influence Leukaemia
Molecular Biology: Clinical Promise for RNA Interference
Chemoprevention Cocktail for Colon Cancer
more news ...
|