title: Sphere formation restores and confers hair-inducing capacity in cultured mesenchymal cells.
abstract: Interactions between epithelial and dermal cells are essential for hair follicle morphogenesis and maintenance. In experimental trials of hair regeneration, isolated dermal cells have been shown to possess hair-inducing capacity. However, dermal cells lose this potential immediately after cultivation. Sphere-forming multipotent cells derived from the dermis possess hair-inducing capacity. These previous findings raise the question of whether hair-inducing capacity depends on the identity as dermal cells or the process of sphere formation. To address this issue, we compared the in vitro and in vivo characteristics of two-dimensionally cultured or thereafter sphere formation-induced dermal and lung mesenchymal cells. We show that sphere-forming mesenchymal cells exhibited higher expression of Wnt signalling genes. Sphere-forming cells but not two-dimensionally cultured cells possessed in vivo hair-inducing capacity. These data suggest that various mesenchymal cells attain hair-inducing capacity through the process of sphere formation.
authors.forename: Ruka
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Keisuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okabe
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kubota
authors.forename: Ayako
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nakamura-Ishizu
authors.forename: Hideo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kishi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000502:physiology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D020405:Dermis / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D006197:Hair / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000502:physiology; D018859:Hair Follicle / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D023421:Models, Animal; D009024:Morphogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D039902:Multipotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D012038:Regeneration / Q000502:physiology; D060449:Wnt Signaling Pathway / Q000502:physiology