Maintenance of sweat glands by stem cells located in the acral epithelium

• Published in: Biochemical and biophysical research communications Vol. 466; no. 3; pp. 333 - 338
• Main Authors: Ohe, Shuichi, Tanaka, Toshihiro, Yanai, Hirotsugu, Komai, Yoshihiro, Omachi, Taichi, Kanno, Shohei, Tanaka, Kiyomichi, Ishigaki, Kazuhiko, Saiga, Kazuho, Nakamura, Naohiro, Ohsugi, Haruyuki, Tokuyama, Yoko, Atsumi, Naho, Hisha, Hiroko, Yoshida, Naoko, Kumano, Keiki, Yamazaki, Fumikazu, Okamoto, Hiroyuki, Ueno, Hiroo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 23.10.2015
• Subjects: 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Acral epithelium; Animals; B lymphoma Mo-MLV insertion region 1; Body Weight; CELL CYCLE; Cell Lineage; Cell Proliferation; EPIDERMIS; Epidermis - metabolism; Epithelium - metabolism; Female; Gene Expression Regulation; GLANDS; GTP-ASES; HEALING; Imaging, Three-Dimensional; IRRADIATION; LEUCINE; Leucine-rich repeat-containing G protein-coupled receptor 5; Leucine-rich repeat-containing G protein-coupled receptor 6; LYMPHOMAS; Male; MICE; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Transgenic; Multipotent Stem Cells - cytology; Polycomb Repressive Complex 1 - genetics; Polycomb Repressive Complex 1 - physiology; Proto-Oncogene Proteins - genetics; Proto-Oncogene Proteins - physiology; RECEPTORS; Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled - genetics; Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled - physiology; Skin - metabolism; Stem cell; STEM CELLS; Stem Cells - cytology; SWEAT; Sweat Glands - physiology; WOUNDS; Leucine-rich repeat-containing G protein-coupled receptor 5; Acral epithelium; Leucine-rich repeat-containing G protein-coupled receptor 6; Stem cell; B lymphoma Mo-MLV insertion region 1
• ISSN: 0006-291X; 1090-2104
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2015.09.022

The skin is responsible for a variety of physiological functions and is critical for wound healing and repair. Therefore, the regenerative capacity of the skin is important. However, stem cells responsible for maintaining the acral epithelium had not previously been identified. In this study, we identified the specific stem cells in the acral epithelium that participate in the long-term maintenance of sweat glands, ducts, and interadnexal epidermis and that facilitate the regeneration of these structures following injury. Lgr6-positive cells and Bmi1-positive cells were found to function as long-term multipotent stem cells that maintained the entire eccrine unit and the interadnexal epidermis. However, while Lgr6-positive cells were rapidly cycled and constantly supplied differentiated cells, Bmi1-positive cells were slow to cycle and occasionally entered the cell cycle under physiological conditions. Upon irradiation-induced injury, Bmi1-positive cells rapidly proliferated and regenerated injured epithelial tissue. Therefore, Bmi1-positive stem cells served as reservoir stem cells. Lgr5-positive cells were rapidly cycled and maintained only sweat glands; therefore, we concluded that these cells functioned as lineage-restricted progenitors. Taken together, our data demonstrated the identification of stem cells that maintained the entire acral epithelium and supported the different roles of three cellular classes. •The acral epithelium have two types of stem cells.•Lgr6-positive cells are rapid-cycling, short-term stem cells.•Bmi1-positive cells are slow-cycling stem cells that act as reserver stem cells.•Lgr5 may be a useful sweat gland marker in mice.