title: Expression of apoptosis-related genes in the mouse skin during the first postnatal catagen stage, focused on localization of Bnip3L and caspase-12.
abstract: Hair follicles undergo repetitive stages of cell proliferation and programmed cell death. The catagen stage of physiological apoptosis is connected with dynamic changes in morphology and alterations in gene expression. However, hair follicle apoptosis must be in balance with events in surrounding tissues, such as keratinocyte cornification, to maintain complex skin homeostasis. Several pro- and anti-apoptotic molecules in the skin have been reported but mainly in pathological states. In this investigation, apoptosis-related gene expression was examined during the first catagen stage of mouse hair follicle development by PCR arrays under physiological conditions. Postnatal stages P15 and P17, representing early and late catagen stages, were evaluated relatively to stage P6, representing the hair follicle growing phase, to demonstrate dynamics of gene activation during the catagen. Several statistically significant alterations were observed at P15 and particularly at P17. Bnip3L and caspase-12 identified by the PCR arrays at both catagen stages were additionally localized using immunofluorescence and were reported in physiological hair development for the first time.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics AS CR , Brno , Czech Republic .
authors.forename: Barbora
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Veselá
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Matalová
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D053454:Caspase 12 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D018859:Hair Follicle / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051379:Mice; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012867:Skin / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D008565:Membrane Proteins; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; C501741:Nix protein, mouse; C506440:Casp12 protein, mouse; D053454:Caspase 12
keywords: Apoptosis; Bnip3L; PCR arrays; caspase-12; hair follicles