CHANGING PATTERNS OF GAP JUNCTIONAL INTERCELLULAR COMMUNICATION AND CONNEXIN DISTRIBUTION IN MOUSE EPIDERMIS AND HAIR-FOLLICLES DURING EMBRYONIC-DEVELOPMENT
R. Choudhry et al., CHANGING PATTERNS OF GAP JUNCTIONAL INTERCELLULAR COMMUNICATION AND CONNEXIN DISTRIBUTION IN MOUSE EPIDERMIS AND HAIR-FOLLICLES DURING EMBRYONIC-DEVELOPMENT, Developmental dynamics, 210(4), 1997, pp. 417-430
In the mouse embryo between embryonic days 12 (E12) and 16, regular ar
rays of epidermal placodes on the mystacial pad develop into whisker f
ollicles. This system was chosen for analysis of gap junctional interc
ellular communication during differentiation. The patterns of communic
ation were studied by microinjection of the tracers Lucifer yellow-CH
(LY-CH) and neurobiotin (NB),while immunofluorescent staining was used
to study distribution of connexins 26 and 43. Extensive communication
was seen between keratinocytes in developing hair pegs or, in later-s
tage hair follicles, in the germinative matrix. Coupling between adjac
ent hair pegs via interfollicular epidermis was not observed. Coupling
also became restricted as follicular cells differentiated to form out
er root sheath, inner root sheath, and hair shaft. Extensive gap junct
ional coupling is characteristic of keratinocytes that are rapidly pro
liferating (as in hair pegs and germinative matrix). Follicular kerati
nocytes commence differentiation shortly before restriction of gap jun
ctional coupling becomes evident. Dermal mesenchymal cells undergoing
different modes of differentiation also exhibit differences in gap jun
ctional coupling, as evidenced by poor transfer of LY-CH between cells
in dermal condensations of hair follicles compared with extensive tra
nsfer elsewhere in the dermis. LY-CH and NB were not transferred betwe
en epidermal or follicular epithelium and mesenchyme, arguing against
a direct role for gap junctions permeable to known second messenger mo
lecules or nucleotides in epithelial-mesenchymal interactions in this
system. The distribution of connexins 26 and 43 in epidermis and hair
follicles changed during differentiation but there was no correlation
with changing patterns of dye transfer, indicating an unexpected degre
e of complexity in the relationship between gap junctional intercellul
ar communication and connexin protein distribution during development.
(C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.