Morphogenetic Mechanisms in the Cyclic Regeneration of Hair Follicles and Deer Antlers from Stem Cells

Figure 14

HF involvement in antlerogenesis. (a) and (b) Intradermal transplantation of the minced AP (delivering AP tissue directly under the HFs). (a) The 1/8 AP successfully induced ectopic pedicle (Pe) antler (An) formation (subcutaneous transplantation requires at least half of the AP tissue). (b) Histological section shows that the lower parts of HFs in the apical velvet skin were bent away (arrows) from the direction of AP tissue growth. (c) and (d) AP cells were cocultured with the DP cells of pedicle skin HFs using a cell culture insert. Note that the size of DP cell aggregates significantly reduced in the coculture (arrow, (c)) comparing with the singular DP cell culture (arrow, (d)).