Fig. 1: SMAD2 is upregulated in HFSCs after differentiation and its overexpression promotes the differentiation of HFSCs but suppresses cell proliferation.
From: Smurf2-induced degradation of SMAD2 causes inhibition of hair follicle stem cell differentiation
SMAD2 mRNA (A) and protein (B) levels in HFSCs after 7-day induction of cell differentiation measured by RT-qPCR and western blot assay, with β-actin as internal reference, *p < 0.05 vs. day 0. C SMAD2 protein level in HFSCs transduced with lentivirus-packaged oe-SMAD2. D Cell differentiation determined by oil red O staining (×400). mRNA (E) and protein (F) levels of epidermal differentiation markers (K10 and involucrin), adipogenesis markers (PPAR-γ2 and aP2), keratinocyte-specific marker (K15), and proliferation-related markers (PCNA and Ki67) in HFSCs overexpressing SMAD2 measured by RT-qPCR and western blot assay, with β-actin as internal reference. G Cell viability in HFSCs in response to SMAD2 overexpression determined by CCK-8 assay. H Apoptosis of HFSCs in response to SMAD2 overexpression determined by flow cytometry. I Proliferation of HFSCs in response to SMAD2 overexpression assessed by BrdU labeling. J The number of colonies formed in HFSCs in response to SMAD2 overexpression. *p < 0.05 vs. oe-NC group. Data are expressed as mean ± standard deviation. Data comparison between two groups was performed by unpaired t test, while data between multiple groups were compared by one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s post hoc test. Data at different time points were compared by two-way ANOVA with Bonferroni post hoc test. Each cell experiment was repeated 3 times.
