Referenced in: none

Automatically associated channels: Cav1.2

Title: State-dependent signaling by Cav1.2 regulates hair follicle stem cell function.

Authors: Gozde Yucel, Banu Altindag, Natalia Gomez-Ospina, Anshul Rana, Georgia Panagiotakos, Maria Fernanda Lara, Ricardo Dolmetsch, Anthony E Oro

Journal, date & volume: Genes Dev., 2013 Jun 1 , 27, 1217-22

PubMed link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23752588

Abstract
The signals regulating stem cell activation during tissue regeneration remain poorly understood. We investigated the baldness associated with mutations in the voltage-gated calcium channel (VGCC) Cav1.2 underlying Timothy syndrome (TS). While hair follicle stem cells express Cav1.2, they lack detectable voltage-dependent calcium currents. Cav1.2(TS) acts in a dominant-negative manner to markedly delay anagen, while L-type channel blockers act through Cav1.2 to induce anagen and overcome the TS phenotype. Cav1.2 regulates production of the bulge-derived BMP inhibitor follistatin-like1 (Fstl1), derepressing stem cell quiescence. Our findings show how channels act in nonexcitable tissues to regulate stem cells and may lead to novel therapeutics for tissue regeneration.