Calvo Sánchez, María InmaculadaFernández Martos, SandraCarrasco, ElisaMoreno Bueno, GemaBernabéu, CarmeloQuintanilla, MiguelEspada, Jesús2019-04-082019-04-0820181674-2788http://hdl.handle.net/10641/1600The hair follicle is a biological oscillator that alternates growth, regression, and rest phases driven by the sequential activation of the proliferation/differentiation programs of resident stem cell populations. The activation of hair follicle stem cell niches and subsequent entry into the growing phase is mainly regulated by Wnt/β-catenin signalling, while regression and resting phases are mainly regulated by Tgf-β/Bmp/Smad activity. A major question still unresolved is the nature of the molecular switch that dictates the coordinated transition between both signalling pathways. Here we have focused on the role of Endoglin (Eng), a key co-receptor for members of the Tgf-β/Bmp family of growth factors. Using an Eng haploinsufficient mouse model, we report that Eng is required to maintain a correct follicle cycling pattern and for an adequate stimulation of hair follicle stem cell niches. We further report that β-catenin binds to the Eng promoter depending on Bmp signalling. Moreover, we show that β-catenin interacts with Smad4 in a Bmp/Eng-dependent context and both proteins act synergistically to activate Eng promoter transcription. These observations point to the existence of a growth/rest switching mechanism in the hair follicle that is based on an Eng-dependent feedback cross-talk between Wnt/β-catenin and Bmp/Smad signals.engAtribución-NoComercial-SinDerivadas 3.0 Españahttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/es/EndoglinHair follicleSkin stem cellsWnt/β-cateninTgf-β/Bmp/Smadjournal articleopen access10.1093/jmcb/mjy051