The long-term goal of this grant is to further our understanding of the molecular regulation of hair follicle development and cycling, with the hope that this new knowledge will provide clues to the pathogenesis of hair follicle disorders and lead to new approaches to therapy. The follicle is a powerful model for studying pathways controlling organ development and regeneration. Throughout much of adult life, follicles cycle through an active growth phase, called anagen;a regression phase, catagen;and a resting phase, telogen. Numerous factors and pathways are required for proper hair follicle development and cycling: our work has centered largely on the Hedgehog (Hh)/Gli pathway. Normally, the Hh/Gli pathway is repressed since the Hh receptor Ptch1 inhibits Smo, a key signal transducer in this pathway. Secreted Hh binds to Ptch1 and inhibits it function, relieving the inhibition of Smo, which is then free to activate signaling and ultimately modulate gene expression via Gli transcription factors. The Hh/Gli pathway has well-established functions during embryonic and postnatal hair follicle growth, where it provides a major proliferative stimulus to epithelial cells as they rapidly expand to build the mature, anagen hair follicle. However, essentially nothing is known of the role of Hh/Gli activity in a small subset of cells in the resting, telogen follicle, which was just recently discovered. In addition, the function of sustained Hh/Gli signaling in mature, anagen hair follicles is also not known. We propose to address both of these questions using several complementary in vivo approaches, which will enable us to block Hh/Gli signaling at different levels in the pathway, and at specific times during the hair cycle. We also propose to test the role of the transcriptional repressor Bmi1, a Hh/Gli target in other organs, in hair follicle biology. The results of these studies will fill in major gaps in our understanding of how Hh/Gli signaling contributes to the complex regulation of hair follicle biology, and may yield clues into the pathogenesis of hair follicle disorders. More globally, they will provide fundamental insight into pathways that are utilized by many other organs for growth and regeneration, and are commonly deregulated in cancer. Finally, since several Hh pathway inhibitors are currently in clinical trials, these studies are timely as they will lead to a better understanding of potential toxicities associated with the use of these drugs in patients.

Public Health Relevance

Abnormalities in the hair follicle and related structures are responsible for many common skin diseases and hair loss disorders. The experiments in this grant will increase our understanding of the control mechanisms that regulate hair follicle growth and development. This knowledge should lead to new and improved treatments for hair follicle-related skin diseases.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
2R01AR045973-11
Application #
7913746
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-MOSS-G (02))
Program Officer
Baker, Carl
Project Start
2000-03-07
Project End
2015-03-31
Budget Start
2010-06-15
Budget End
2011-03-31
Support Year
11
Fiscal Year
2010
Total Cost
$347,366
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Michigan Ann Arbor
Department
Dermatology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
073133571
City
Ann Arbor
State
MI
Country
United States
Zip Code
48109
Kumari, Archana; Ermilov, Alexandre N; Grachtchouk, Marina et al. (2017) Recovery of taste organs and sensory function after severe loss from Hedgehog/Smoothened inhibition with cancer drug sonidegib. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 114:E10369-E10378
Ermilov, Alexandre N; Kumari, Archana; Li, Libo et al. (2016) Maintenance of Taste Organs Is Strictly Dependent on Epithelial Hedgehog/GLI Signaling. PLoS Genet 12:e1006442
Wang, Bo; Merillat, Sean A; Vincent, Michael et al. (2016) Loss of the Ubiquitin-conjugating Enzyme UBE2W Results in Susceptibility to Early Postnatal Lethality and Defects in Skin, Immune, and Male Reproductive Systems. J Biol Chem 291:3030-42
Peterson, Shelby C; Eberl, Markus; Vagnozzi, Alicia N et al. (2015) Basal cell carcinoma preferentially arises from stem cells within hair follicle and mechanosensory niches. Cell Stem Cell 16:400-12
Verhaegen, Monique E; Mangelberger, Doris; Harms, Paul W et al. (2015) Merkel cell polyomavirus small T antigen is oncogenic in transgenic mice. J Invest Dermatol 135:1415-1424
Hammiller, Brianna O; El-Abaseri, Taghrid Bahig; Dlugosz, Andrzej A et al. (2015) A Method for the Immortalization of Newborn Mouse Skin Keratinocytes. Front Oncol 5:177
Kumari, Archana; Ermilov, Alexandre N; Allen, Benjamin L et al. (2015) Hedgehog pathway blockade with the cancer drug LDE225 disrupts taste organs and taste sensation. J Neurophysiol 113:1034-40
Wong, Sunny Y; Dlugosz, Andrzej A (2014) Basal cell carcinoma, Hedgehog signaling, and targeted therapeutics: the long and winding road. J Invest Dermatol 134:E18-22
Liu, Hong Xiang; Ermilov, Alexandre; Grachtchouk, Marina et al. (2013) Multiple Shh signaling centers participate in fungiform papilla and taste bud formation and maintenance. Dev Biol 382:82-97
Veniaminova, Natalia A; Vagnozzi, Alicia N; Kopinke, Daniel et al. (2013) Keratin 79 identifies a novel population of migratory epithelial cells that initiates hair canal morphogenesis and regeneration. Development 140:4870-80

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