Cell Cycle Controls Long-Range Calcium Signaling in the Regenerating Epidermis

April 2023 in “ The Journal of Cell Biology ”

Jessica L. Moore, Dhananjay Bhaskar, Feng Gao, Catherine Matte-Martone, Shuangshuang Du, Elizabeth Lathrop, Smirthy Ganesan, Lin Shao, Rachael P. Norris, Nil Campamà Sanz, Karl Annusver, Maria Kasper, Andy Cox, Caroline Hendry, Bastian Rieck, Smita Krishnaswamy, Valentina Greco

calcium signaling Ca2+ signaling connexin43 epidermal regeneration stem cells basal stem cell layer G2 cells cell cycle progression

TLDR Calcium signaling in skin cells is crucial for communication and regeneration.

The study explores the role of calcium (Ca2+) signaling in the regenerating epidermis, focusing on the basal stem cell layer. It highlights that G2 phase cells are crucial for maintaining coordinated Ca2+ signaling, which is essential for epidermal regeneration. The research shows that G2 cells exhibit more uniform Ca2+ signaling patterns compared to other cell cycle phases, and their depletion disrupts signaling dynamics. Connexin 43 (Cx43) gap junctions facilitate long-range Ca2+ signaling, although G2 cells can maintain signaling with low Cx43 levels. The study uses advanced imaging and machine learning techniques to analyze Ca2+ dynamics, providing insights into the complex signaling networks in regenerative tissues. The research involved multiple mice, with specific experiments using 3 to 9 mice, depending on the analysis.