Ectopic differentiation of melanocyte stem cells is influenced by genetic background.

ABSTRACT: Hair graying in mouse is attributed to the loss of melanocyte stem cell function and the progressive depletion of the follicular melanocyte population. Single-gene, hair graying mouse models have pointed to a number of critical pathways involved in melanocyte stem cell biology; however, the broad range of phenotypic variation observed in human hair graying suggests that additional genetic variants involved in this process may yet be discovered. Using a sensitized approach, we ask here whether natural genetic variation influences a predominant cellular mechanism of hair graying in mouse, melanocyte stem cell differentiation. We developed an innovative method to quantify melanocyte stem cell differentiation by measuring ectopically pigmented melanocyte stem cells in response to the melanocyt

SUBMITTER: Harris ML 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4333083 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature