beta-Catenin has sequential roles in the survival and specification of ventral dermis.
The dermis promotes the development and maintains the functional components of skin, such as hair follicles, sweat glands, nerves and blood vessels. The dermis is also crucial for wound healing and homeostasis of the skin. The dermis originates from the somites, the lateral plate mesoderm and the cranial neural crest. Despite the importance of the dermis in the structural and functional integrity of the skin, genetic analysis of dermal development in different parts of the embryo is incomplete. The signaling requirements for ventral dermal cell development have not been established in either the chick or the mammalian embryo. We have shown previously that Wnt signaling specifies the dorsal dermis from the somites. In this study, we demonstrate that Wnt/beta-catenin signaling is necessary for the survival of early ventral dermal progenitors. In addition, we show that, at later stages, Wnt/beta-catenin signaling is sufficient for ventral dermal cell specification. Consistent with the different origins of dorsal and ventral dermal cells, our results demonstrate both conserved and divergent roles of beta-catenin/Wnt signaling in dermal development.
Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
Jennifer
J
Ohtola
John
J
Myers
Batool
B
Akhtar-Zaidi
Diana
D
Zuzindlak
Pooja
P
Sandesara
Karen
K
Yeh
Susan
S
Mackem
Radhika
R
Atit
D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D020405:Dermis / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D017930:Genes, Reporter / Q000235:genetics; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D051820:TCF Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051153:Wnt Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D051820:TCF Transcription Factors; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D051176:beta Catenin