Fig. 1: Ror2 depletion in bulge causes a delay of HFSC activation and hair cycle progression.
From: ROR2 regulates self-renewal and maintenance of hair follicle stem cells
a Whole-mount immunofluorescence staining of mouse HFs at anagen onset and telogen for ROR2 (red) and CD34 (green). Bu, bulge; HG, hair germ. b ROR2 expression is upregulated in activated HFSCs. Immunoblotting analyses of FACS-purified HFSCs from P55 (for quiescent HFSC; qHFSC) and P22-23 (for activated HFSC; aHFSC) mouse back skins for ROR2 and β-Actin. Quantification of ROR2 protein levels from independent experiments is shown as the graph below. Data were normalized to β-Actin. Values were calculated by comparing to qHFSC and reported as average ± s.d.; n = 4 blots from independent FACS-sorted HFSCs; *p = 0.0117. c Schematic diagram illustrating delayed hair cycle entry in Ror2 cKO mice as compared to their Ctrl littermates. Mice were treated with RU486 to activate Cre recombinase in HFSCs at P18-25. M morphogenesis, Tel telogen, Ana anagen, Cat catagen, M males, F females. d Real-time PCR analyses with FACS-purified Ror2 Ctrl and cKO HFSCs from anagen onset (Ana) and late telogen (Late Tel). Values were normalized to Ror2 Ctrl HFSC mRNA. Data are reported as average ± s.d.; n = 5 (Ana) or 4 (Late Tel) biological independent animals; **p < 0.005. e H & E staining of Ror2 Ctrl and cKO mouse back skins at indicated postnatal (P) days (top). Quantification of percentage of HFs at indicated hair cycle stages showing a delay of anagen entry of Ror2 cKO HFs (bottom). f Ror2 cKO HFSCs display a delay in activation at anagen onset. After 24 h EdU labeling, P32 female skins were immunostained (left) and quantified (right). Mx, matrix. Data are reported as the median (the line within the box), the 25th to 75th percentiles (bottom and top lines of the box), and the 10th to 90th percentiles (bottom and top whiskers); n = 7 (Ctrl) or 4 (cKO) HFs examined over one pair of animals; **p = 0.0031. All p values were calculated using unpaired two-sided t-test. Scale bars in a, e, f represent 50 μm. All results are representative of at least two independent experiments. Source data are provided as a Source Data file.
