An alternative model for the homeostasis of adult epidermis posits posits only one type of stem cell undergoes both symmetric and asymmetric divisions to ensure epidermal homeostasis. A genetic approach of marking single cells in the adult mouse tail epidermis shows that the clones of labelled cells that arise from their inducible labelling approach are most likely to come from a single compartment of proliferating cells, which may undergo an unlimited number of divisions.
- Elizabeth Clayton
- David P. Doupé
- Philip H. Jones