Abstract
Amelogenin, an enamel matrix protein has been considered to be exclusively expressed by ameloblasts during odontogenesis. However, burgeoning evidence indicates that amelogenin is also expressed in non-mineralizing tissues. Under the hypothesis that amelogenin may be a functional molecule in developing hair follicles which share developmental features with odontogenesis, this study for the first time elucidated the presence and functional changes of amelogenin and its receptors during rat hair follicle development. Amelogenin was specifically localized in the outer epithelial root sheath of hair follicles. Its expression appeared in the deeper portion of hair follicles, i.e. the bulbar and suprabulbar regions rather than the superficial region. Lamp-1, an amelogenin receptor, was localized in either follicular cells or outer epithelial sheath cells, reflecting functional changes during development. The expression of amelogenin splicing variants increased in a time-dependent manner during postnatal development of hair follicles. Amelogenin expression was increased by treatment with cyclosporin A, which is an inducer of anagen in the hair follicle, whereas the level of Lamp-1 and -2 was decreased by cyclosporin A treatment. These results suggest that amelogenin may be a functional molecule involved in the development of the hair follicle rather than an inert hair shaft matrix protein.