Hair follicle (HF) growth and development are controlled by various cell types, including hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs) and dermal papilla cells (DPCs). Exosomes are nanostructures that participate in many biological processes. Accumulating evidence indicates that DPC-derived exosomes (DPC-Exos) mediate HFSC proliferation and differentiation during the cyclical growth of hair follicles. In this study, we found that DPC-Exos increase ki67 expression and CCK8 cell viability readouts in HFSCs but reduce annexin staining of apoptotic cells. RNA sequencing of DPC-Exos-treated HFSCs identified 3702 significantly differentially expressed genes (DEGs), including BMP4, LEF1, IGF1R, TGFβ3, TGFα, and KRT17. These DEGs were enriched in HF growth- and development-related pathways. We further verified the function of LEF1 and showed that overexpression of LEF1 increased the expression of HF development-related genes and proteins, enhanced HFSC proliferation, and reduced HFSC apoptosis, while knockdown of LEF1 reversed these effects. DPC-Exos could also rescue the siRNA-LEF1 effect in HFSCs. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that DPC-Exos mediated cell-to-cell communication can regulate HFSCs proliferation by stimulating LEF1 and provide novel insights into HF growth and development regulatory mechanisms.
Keywords: LEF1; dermal papilla cells; exosomes; hair follicle; hair follicle stem cell.