First Author | Pálmer HG | Year | 2008 |
Journal | PLoS One | Volume | 3 |
Issue | 1 | Pages | e1483 |
PubMed ID | 18213391 | Mgi Jnum | J:131616 |
Mgi Id | MGI:3774066 | Doi | 10.1371/journal.pone.0001483 |
Citation | Palmer HG, et al. (2008) The Vitamin D Receptor Is a Wnt Effector that Controls Hair Follicle Differentiation and Specifies Tumor Type in Adult Epidermis. PLoS One 3(1):e1483 |
abstractText | We have investigated how Wnt and vitamin D receptor signals regulate epidermal differentiation. Many epidermal genes induced by beta-catenin, including the stem cell marker keratin 15, contain vitamin D response elements (VDREs) and several are induced independently of TCF/Lef. The VDR is required for beta-catenin induced hair follicle formation in adult epidermis, and the vitamin D analog EB1089 synergises with beta-catenin to stimulate hair differentiation. Human trichofolliculomas (hair follicle tumours) are characterized by high nuclear beta-catenin and VDR, whereas infiltrative basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) have high beta-catenin and low VDR levels. In mice, EB1089 prevents beta-catenin induced trichofolliculomas, while in the absence of VDR beta-catenin induces tumours resembling BCCs. We conclude that VDR is a TCF/Lef-independent transcriptional effector of the Wnt pathway and that vitamin D analogues have therapeutic potential in tumors with inappropriate activation of Wnt signalling. |