Mammalian Merkel cells are descended from the epidermal lineage.
Merkel cells are specialized cells in the skin that are important for proper neural encoding of light touch stimuli. Conflicting evidence suggests that these cells are lineally descended from either the skin or the neural crest. To address this question, we used epidermal (Krt14(Cre)) and neural crest (Wnt1(Cre)) Cre-driver lines to conditionally delete Atoh1 specifically from the skin or neural crest lineages, respectively, of mice. Deletion of Atoh1 from the skin lineage resulted in loss of Merkel cells from all regions of the skin, while deletion from the neural crest lineage had no effect on this cell population. Thus, mammalian Merkel cells are derived from the skin lineage.
Morrison
Kristin M
KM
Department of Pediatrics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
Miesegaes
George R
GR
Lumpkin
Ellen A
EA
Maricich
Stephen M
SM
D000818:Animals; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019070:Cell Lineage; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D000078404:Epidermal Cells; D004817:Epidermis / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053547:Keratin-14 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D018862:Merkel Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009420:Nervous System / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D012867:Skin / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D051155:Wnt1 Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D053547:Keratin-14; D051155:Wnt1 Protein; C500943:Atoh1 protein, mouse; C495246:Wnt1 protein, mouse