Journal
JOURNAL OF CELL BIOLOGY
Volume 208, Issue 3, Pages 367-379Publisher
ROCKEFELLER UNIV PRESS
DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201407101
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Funding
- National Institutes of Health grant [T32 GM008056, AR059114]
- Richard King Mellon Foundation Institute
- Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research [25115733, 25110742] Funding Source: KAKEN
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Resident progenitor cells in mammalian skin generate new cells as a part of tissue homeostasis. We sought to identify the progenitors of Merkel cells, a unique skin cell type that plays critical roles in mechanosensation. We found that some Atoh1-expressing cells in the hairy skin and whisker follicles are mitotically active at embryonic and postnatal ages. Genetic fate-mapping revealed that these Atoh1-expressing cells give rise solely to Merkel cells. Furthermore, selective ablation of Atoh1(+) skin cells in adult mice led to a permanent reduction in Merkel cell numbers, demonstrating that other stem cell populations are incapable of producing Merkel cells. These data identify a novel, unipotent progenitor population in the skin that gives rise to Merkel cells both during development and adulthood.
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