title: New roles for glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor and neurturin: involvement in hair cycle control.
abstract: Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), neurturin (NTN), and their receptors, GDNF family receptor alpha-1 (GFRalpha-1) and GDNF family receptor alpha-2 (GFRalpha-2), are critically important for kidney and nervous system development. However, their role in skin biology, specifically in hair growth control, is as yet unknown. We have studied expression and function of GDNF, neurturin, GFRalpha-1, and GFRalpha-2 in murine skin during the cyclic transformation of the hair follicle (HF) from its resting state (telogen) to active growth (anagen) and then through regression (catagen) back to telogen. GDNF protein and GFRalpha-1 messenger RNA are prominently expressed in telogen skin, which lacks NTN and GFRalpha-2 transcripts. Early anagen development is accompanied by a significant decline in the skin content of GDNF protein and GFRalpha-1 transcripts. During the anagen-catagen transition, GDNF, GFRalpha-1, NTN, and GFRalpha-2 transcripts reach maximal levels. Compared with wild-type controls, GFRalpha-1 (+/-) and GFRalpha-2 (-/-) knockout mice show a significantly accelerated catagen development. Furthermore, GDNF or NTN administration significantly retards HF regression in organ-cultured mouse skin. This suggests important, previously unrecognized roles for GDNF/GFRalpha-1 and NTN/GFRalpha-2 signaling in skin biology, specifically in the control of apoptosis-driven HF involution, and raises the possibility that GFRalpha-1/GFRalpha-2 agonists/antagonists might become exploitable for the treatment of hair growth disorders that are related to abnormalities in catagen development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Charité, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: N V
authors.initials: NV
authors.lastname: Botchkareva
authors.forename: V A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Botchkarev
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Welker
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Airaksinen
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Roth
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Suvanto
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Müller-Röver
authors.forename: I M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Hadshiew
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Paus
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D051100:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D051097:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Receptors; D018859:Hair Follicle / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development*; D006204:Hair Removal; D006579:Heterozygote; D006720:Homozygote; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D051101:Neurturin; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051096:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; C495040:Gdnf protein, mouse; C494988:Gfra1 protein, mouse; D051100:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D051097:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Receptors; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D051101:Neurturin; C495056:Nrtn protein, mouse; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D004247:DNA; D051096:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; C416649:Ret protein, Drosophila