Signaling networks of developing hair follicles

The hair follicle (HF) is a complex miniorgan that serves as an ideal model system to study stem cell (SC) interactions with the niche during growth and regeneration. Dermal papilla (DP) cells are required for activating SCs during the adult hair cycle, but the signal exchange between niche and SC precursors/transit amplifying progenitor cells (TACs) that regulates HF morphogenetic growth is largely unknown. Here we use six transgenic reporters to isolate 14 major skin and HF cell populations. With next-generation RNA sequencing we characterize their transcriptomes and define unique molecular signatures. SC precursors, TACs and the DP niche express a plethora of known and novel ligands and receptors. Signaling interaction network analysis reveals a birds-eye view of pathways implicated in epithelial-mesenchymal interactions. Using a systematic tissue-wide approach this work provides a comprehensive platform, linked to an interactive online database, to identify and further explore the SC/TAC/niche crosstalk regulating HF growth.毛囊（hair follicle, HF）是一类复杂的微型器官，可作为研究生长与再生过程中干细胞（stem cell, SC）与其微环境（niche）相互作用的理想模型系统。真皮乳头（dermal papilla, DP）细胞在成年毛囊周期中可激活干细胞，但调控毛囊形态发生性生长的微环境与干细胞前体/瞬时扩增祖细胞（transit amplifying progenitor cells, TACs）之间的信号交换机制在很大程度上仍未明确。本研究利用6种转基因报告基因分离得到14种主要的皮肤及毛囊细胞群；通过下一代RNA测序对这些细胞的转录组进行表征，并明确其独特的分子特征。干细胞前体、瞬时扩增祖细胞及真皮乳头微环境可表达大量已知及新型的配体与受体。信号互作网络分析可全面展现上皮-间质相互作用相关的信号通路。本研究采用系统性全组织研究方法，构建了可与交互式在线数据库联动的综合性研究平台，用于识别并深入探究调控毛囊生长的干细胞/瞬时扩增祖细胞/微环境信号串扰机制。

搜集汇总

背景与挑战

背景概述

该数据集聚焦于毛囊发育过程中的信号网络研究，通过分离14个主要皮肤和毛囊细胞群并利用下一代RNA测序技术，系统分析了干细胞、祖细胞与毛囊乳头生态位之间的信号交换机制。数据集包含28个转录组测序样本，来自出生后第5天的小鼠背部皮肤，总数据量约103.22 GB，旨在为毛囊生长调控的干细胞/祖细胞/生态位互作研究提供全面的平台和在线数据库资源。