Mechanical tension mobilizes Lgr6⁺ epidermal stem cells to drive skin growth.

ABSTRACT: Uniquely among mammalian organs, skin is capable of marked size change in adults, yet the mechanisms underlying this notable capacity are unclear. Here, we use a system of controlled tissue expansion in mice to uncover cellular and molecular determinants of skin growth. Through machine learning-guided three-dimensional tissue reconstruction, we capture morphometric changes in growing skin. We find that most growth is driven by the proliferation of the epidermis in response to mechanical tension, with more limited changes in dermal and subdermal compartments. Epidermal growth is achieved through preferential activation and differentiation of Lgr6⁺ stem cells of the epidermis, driven in part by the Hippo pathway. By single-cell RNA sequencing, we uncover further changes in mechano

SUBMITTER: Xue Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9045722 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature