title: A short peptide GPIGS promotes proliferation of hair bulb keratinocytes and accelerates hair regrowth in mice.
abstract: The aim of this study was to discover a novel agent that promotes hair growth. We carried out a screening test in 298 types of conditioned medium (CM) from cultures of bacteria by using a hair bulb keratinocyte (HBK) growth assay. As a result, we found a HBK growth factor in the CM of Bacillus sp. M18. This HBK growth factor was purified by collecting biologically active fractions in three steps, including HP-20 batch processing, LH-20 chromatography and C18 reverse-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography, and identified as a short peptide GPIGS. GPIGS increased Akt phosphorylation in HBKs. Moreover, the GPIGS-stimulated HBK growth was inhibited by the treatment with LY294002, an inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI-3K). These results suggest that GPIGS promotes HBK growth via the PI-3K/Akt pathway. In addition to in vitro tests, GPIGS was found to accelerate hair regrowth in telogen mice. Our results indicate that GPIGS is a potential agent to promote hair growth.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biological Resources and Functions, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
authors.forename: Akinori
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tsuruda
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawano
authors.forename: Takaaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Maekawa
authors.forename: Syuichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oka
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018859:Hair Follicle / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development*; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D006133:Growth Substances; D010446:Peptide Fragments