Mice lacking Sgk3 (right) have thin coats and short, abnormal hairs.
The control of hair follicle growth has been an enigma for cell biologists. While growth factors such as EGF are known for their ability to stimulate proliferation in epithelial cells, EGF causes hair loss. In addition, the downstream signals that control hair growth are largely unknown. Now, an Akt relative called Sgk3 is identified as a hair growth kinase.
Similar to EGF treatment, loss of Sgk3 in mice results in short, thin hair coats due to problems in follicle growth. The engine for hair production is the hair bulb, which is composed of epithelial matrix cells at the follicle base. These cells, derived from follicle stem cells, differentiate to produce the hair. Throughout normal adult...
