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From the Department of Dermatology,*
Charité,
Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany; the Institute of
Biotechnology,
University of Helsinki,
Helsinki, Finland; the Institute of Molecular
Medicine,
Albert-Ludwigs University,
Freiburg, Germany; and the Department of
Dermatology,§
University of Hamburg,
Hamburg, Germany
Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF),
neurturin (NTN), and their receptors, GDNF family
receptor
-1 (GFR
-1) and GDNF family receptor
-2
(GFR
-2), are critically important for kidney and nervous
system development. However, their role in skin
biology, specifically in hair growth control, is as yet
unknown. We have studied expression and function of GDNF,
neurturin, GFR
-1, and GFR
-2 in murine skin during
the cyclic transformation of the hair follicle (HF) from its resting
state (telogen) to active growth (anagen) and then through regression
(catagen) back to telogen. GDNF protein and GFR
-1 messenger RNA are
prominently expressed in telogen skin, which lacks NTN and
GFR
-2 transcripts. Early anagen development is accompanied by a
significant decline in the skin content of GDNF protein and GFR
-1
transcripts. During the anagen-catagen transition,
GDNF, GFR
-1, NTN, and GFR
-2 transcripts
reach maximal levels. Compared with wild-type controls,
GFR
-1 (+/-) and GFR
-2 (-/-) knockout mice show a significantly
accelerated catagen development. Furthermore, GDNF or NTN
administration significantly retards HF regression in organ-cultured
mouse skin. This suggests important, previously
unrecognized roles for GDNF/GFR
-1 and NTN/GFR
-2 signaling in skin
biology, specifically in the control of apoptosis-driven HF
involution, and raises the possibility that GFR
-1/GFR
-2
agonists/antagonists might become exploitable for the treatment of hair
growth disorders that are related to abnormalities in catagen
development.
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