title: Wls is expressed in the epidermis and regulates embryonic hair follicle induction in mice.
abstract: Wnt proteins are secreted molecules that play multiple roles during hair follicle development and postnatal hair cycling. Wntless (Wls) is a cargo protein required for the secretion of various Wnt ligands. However, its role during hair follicle development and hair cycling remains unclear. Here, we examined the expression of Wls during hair follicle induction and postnatal hair cycling. We also conditionally deleted Wls with K14-cre to investigate its role in hair follicle induction. K14-cre;Wls(c/c) mice exhibited abnormal hair follicle development, which is possibly caused by impaired canonical Wnt signaling. Meanwhile, Wnt5a is also expressed in embryonic epidermis, but Wnt5a null mice showed no significant defect in embryonic hair follicle morphogenesis. Therefore, Wls may regulate hair follicle induction by mediating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.
authors.affiliation: Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Sixia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Xuming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Yanfang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yixin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.forename: Guoyin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Xizhi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ma
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D004817:Epidermis / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018859:Hair Follicle / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D051153:Wnt Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D060449:Wnt Signaling Pathway; D000071818:Wnt-5a Protein
chemical_list: C545200:Gpr177 protein, mouse; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D000071818:Wnt-5a Protein; C438615:Wnt5a protein, mouse