title: Profiling mRNA of the graying human hair follicle constitutes a promising state-of-the-art tool to assess its aging: an exemplary report.
abstract: Determining hitherto uninvestigated and safe targets to halt the aging process is important in our aging society. Graying is a hallmark of the aging process and may be used to identify aging tissue for comparative analysis. Here we analyzed differential gene expressions between pigmented, gray, and white human scalp skin hair follicles (HFs) from identical donors. Forming intersections between five donors identified 194/192 downregulated and 186/177 upregulated genes in gray/white HFs. These included melanogenesis (tyrosinase; tyrosinase-related protein 1)- and melanosome structure (Melan-A; Pmel17)-associated genes and regulation of melanocyte relevant tyrosine kinases. Alongside these expected changes, regulated genes included nonmelanocyte-related genes associated with aging as well as nonaging-related genes associated with melanocytes. Intriguingly, among them, genes associated with energy metabolism (i.e., glutaminase) and axon guidance (plexin C1) were altered. These results were reflected by pathway analysis and exemplarily confirmed by PCR and immunohistochemical studies. Supplementing cultured HFs with glutamine or plexin C1 revealed biological relevance and pharmacointerventional potential of these microarray results in altering the HF aging process. Together, we present intriguing data obtained from intra-individual sample comparison that suggest the graying HF to be a valid aging model and a promising target for testing therapeutic interventions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, CharitéCenter 12 (CC12) for Internal Medicine and Dermatology, University-Medicine Charité, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Eva M J
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: Christiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liezmann
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Spatz
authors.forename: Ute
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ungethüm
authors.forename: Ralf-Jürgen
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Kuban
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Daniltchenko
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kruse
authors.forename: Dominik
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Imfeld
authors.forename: Burghard F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Klapp
authors.forename: Remo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Campiche
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling / Q000639:trends*; D005972:Glutaminase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006200:Hair Color / Q000235:genetics*; D018859:Hair Follicle / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008543:Melanins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008544:Melanocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D008954:Models, Biological; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011991:Receptors, Virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012535:Scalp / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D008543:Melanins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011991:Receptors, Virus; C112038:VESPR semaphorin receptor; D005972:Glutaminase