Patterning and Regional Specification of Hairy Skin

July 2025 in “ Journal of Investigative Dermatology ”

J. Canto-Santos, Andrew Fu Wah Ho, Angeline Ferdinand, Marc Xu, Sarah E. Millar

hair follicle development skin characteristics Wnt signaling IGF signaling IGFBP3 DKK2 SOSTDC1 ectopic hair hairless regions Wnt activity IGFBP4 appendage development

TLDR Secreted inhibitors of Wnt and IGF signaling control hair and tooth development, creating species-specific patterns.

This study investigates the mechanisms behind regional variation in hair follicle development and skin characteristics by analyzing mouse embryonic and human fetal skin. The research highlights the differential expression of secreted factors that inhibit Wnt and IGF signaling, such as IGFBP3, DKK2, and SOSTDC1, which vary between species. Mice lacking DKK2 develop ectopic hair in normally hairless regions, and the combined loss of DKK2 and SOSTDC1 leads to additional hair growth, indicating their role in regulating hairless and less-hairy skin. Furthermore, the deletion of DKK2 and IGFBP4 expands Wnt activity, causing ectopic tooth development. These findings suggest that secreted inhibitors of Wnt and IGF signaling are crucial in controlling appendage development and have evolved to create species-specific patterns.

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