Effect of lactate dehydrogenase activity on hair follicle stem cell

Abstract

The activity of hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs) is regulated by many intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms. Studies have shown that HFSCs use glycolytic metabolism and produce significantly more lactate than other cells in the epidermis. Furthermore, lactate generation appears to be critical for the activation of HFSCs as the deletion of lactate dehydrogenase prevents HFSCs’ activation. On the contrary, genetically promoting lactate production through deletion of the mitochondrial pyruvate carrier 1 (Mpc1) accelerated the activation of HFSCs for the hair cycle. The hair cycle can be induced by stimulating Mpc1 levels or by inhibiting the activation of the Mpc1 carrier. All these data suggest that HFSCs maintain a metabolic state that allows them to remain dormant and yet their ability to quickly respond to appropriate proliferative stimuli.