Hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs) regenerate hair in response to Wnt signalling. Fuchs and colleagues use a genome-wide survey to discover that Wnt effectors TCF3, TCF4 and Groucho (TLE) coordinately repress Wnt target genes. They find that although β-catenin is dispensable for HSFC viability and proliferation, it is essential to relieve this repression to initiate hair follicle fate during the hair regeneration cycle.
- Wen-Hui Lien
- Lisa Polak
- Elaine Fuchs