Department of Dermatology, Charles C. Gates Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
Exp Dermatol. 2012 Feb;21(2):81-5. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0625.2011.01425.x.
In mammals, the skin can form complex global and local patterns to meet diverse functional requirements in different parts of the body. To date, the fundamental principles that underlie skin patterning remain poorly understood because of the involvement of multiple interacting processes. Genes involved in the planar cell polarity (PCP) signalling pathway, which is capable of polarizing cells within the planar plane of an epithelium, can control the orientation and differentiation of hair follicles, underlining their involvement in skin pattern formation. Here, we summarize recent progress that has been made to understand the PCP signalling pathway and its function in mammalian skin, including its role in hair follicle morphogenesis, ciliogenesis and wound healing. We argue that dissecting PCP signalling in the context of hair follicle formation might reveal many as-yet-undiscovered functions for PCP in the development, homeostasis and regeneration of skin.
在哺乳动物中，皮肤可以形成复杂的整体和局部模式，以满足身体不同部位的多样化功能需求。迄今为止，由于涉及多个相互作用的过程，皮肤模式形成的基础原理仍未得到很好的理解。参与平面细胞极性（PCP）信号通路的基因能够在表皮的平面内极化细胞，它们可以控制毛囊的方向和分化，这表明它们参与了皮肤模式的形成。在这里，我们总结了最近在理解哺乳动物皮肤中的 PCP 信号通路及其功能方面取得的进展，包括其在毛囊形态发生、纤毛发生和伤口愈合中的作用。我们认为，在毛囊形成的背景下剖析 PCP 信号通路可能会揭示 PCP 在皮肤发育、稳态和再生方面的许多尚未发现的功能。
