554 MicroRNA-148a controls epidermal and hair follicle stem/progenitor cells by modulating the activities of Rock1 and Elf5

Abstract

Skin and hair development is regulated by complex programs of gene activation, silencing, and microRNA-dependent modulation of gene expression to maintain normal skin and hair follicle (HF) development, homeostasis, and cycling. Here, we show that miR-148a, through its gene targets, plays an important role in regulating skin homeostasis and HF-cycling. RNA and protein analysis of miR-148a and its gene targets were analysed using a combination of in vitro and in vivo experiments. We show that expression of miR-148a markedly increases during telogen (bulge and hair germ stem cell compartments).