Human hair follicles as a peripheral source of tyrosine hydroxylase and aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase mRNA.

Total RNA from human hair follicles was reverse transcribed and amplified using primers specific for aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). Agarose electrophoresis of the amplified products showed reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) products of the expected size for both TH and AADC. Sequencing showed that the amplified products matched the known sequences of TH and AADC. This study identifies hair follicles as a convenient, uninvasive, source of the mRNA for TH and AADC. Analysis of these mRNA's may be useful in the diagnosis and investigation of conditions resulting from qualitative changes in the genes that code for these enzymes.