Gene Expression Profiling of the Intact Dermal Sheath Cup of Human Hair Follicles.

Cells that constitute the dermal papillae of hair follicles might be derived from the dermal sheath, the peribulbar component of which is the dermal sheath cup. The dermal sheath cup is thought to include the progenitor cells of the dermal papillae and possesses hair inductive potential; however, it has not yet been well characterized. This study investigated the gene expression profile of the intact dermal sheath cup, and identified dermal sheath cup signature genes, including extracellular matrix components and bone morphogenetic protein-binding molecules, as well as transforming frowth factor beta 1 as an upstream regulator. Among these, gremilin-2, a member of the bone morphogenetic protein antagonists, was found by in situ hybridization to be highly specific to the dermal sheath cup, implying that gremlin-2 is a key molecule contributing to maintenance of the properties of the dermal sheath cup.