title: BLIMP1 is required for postnatal epidermal homeostasis but does not define a sebaceous gland progenitor under steady-state conditions.
abstract: B-lymphocyte-induced nuclear maturation protein 1 (BLIMP1) was previously reported to define a sebaceous gland (SG) progenitor population in the epidermis. However, the recent identification of multiple stem cell populations in the hair follicle junctional zone has led us to re-evaluate its function. We show, in agreement with previous studies, that BLIMP1 is expressed by postmitotic, terminally differentiated epidermal cells within the SG, interfollicular epidermis, and hair follicle. Epidermal overexpression of c-Myc results in loss of BLIMP1(+) cells, an effect modulated by androgen signaling. Epidermal-specific deletion of Blimp1 causes multiple differentiation defects in the epidermis in addition to SG enlargement. In culture, BLIMP1(+) sebocytes have no greater clonogenic potential than BLIMP1(-) sebocytes. Finally, lineage-tracing experiments reveal that, under steady-state conditions, BLIMP1-expressing cells do not divide. Thus, rather than defining a sebocyte progenitor population, BLIMP1 functions in terminally differentiated cells to maintain homeostasis in multiple epidermal compartments.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, King's College London, Guy's Hospital, 28(th) Floor Tower Wing, Great Maze Pond, London SE1 9RT, UK; Wellcome Trust-Medical Research Council Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QR, UK; Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK.
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kretzschmar
authors.affiliation: Wellcome Trust-Medical Research Council Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QR, UK; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Building 76, Wellington Road, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia.
authors.forename: Denny L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Cottle
authors.affiliation: Centre for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, King's College London, Guy's Hospital, 28(th) Floor Tower Wing, Great Maze Pond, London SE1 9RT, UK; Epithelial Cell Biology Laboratory, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Research Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, Robinson Way, Cambridge CB2 0RE, UK.
authors.forename: Giacomo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Donati
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Centre, Taipei 114, Taiwan, ROC; Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Ming-Feng
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Chiang
authors.affiliation: Epithelial Cell Biology Laboratory, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Research Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, Robinson Way, Cambridge CB2 0RE, UK; Clinic of Dermatology and Venereology, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Leipziger Strasse 44, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Sven R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Quist
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Dermatology and Venereology, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Leipziger Strasse 44, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Harald P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Gollnick
authors.affiliation: Epithelial Cell Biology Laboratory, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Research Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, Robinson Way, Cambridge CB2 0RE, UK; Department of Dermatology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, North 15 West 7, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan.
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Natsuga
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Centre, Taipei 114, Taiwan, ROC; Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Kuo-I
authors.initials: KI
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Centre for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, King's College London, Guy's Hospital, 28(th) Floor Tower Wing, Great Maze Pond, London SE1 9RT, UK. Electronic address: fiona.watt@kcl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Fiona M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Watt
mesh_terms: D053687:Adult Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D019070:Cell Lineage; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D000078404:Epidermal Cells; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D000074462:Positive Regulatory Domain I-Binding Factor 1; D012627:Sebaceous Glands / Q000166:cytology*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C513258:Prdm1 protein, mouse; D014157:Transcription Factors; D000074462:Positive Regulatory Domain I-Binding Factor 1