Cooperation of Nectin-1 and Nectin-3 Is Required for Maintenance of Epidermal Stratification and Proper Hair Shaft Formation in the Mouse

Figure 5

Structural abnormalities in hair bulb and hair shaft of the compound mutant. Microscopic appearance of plucked hair and immunohistochemical analysis of the hair shaft and bulb of control ((a)–(c) and (g)–(i)) and nectin-1−/−; nectin-3+/− ((d)–(f) and (j)–(l)) at P10. The air cells of nectin-1−/−; nectin-3+/− hair shaft exhibit irregular shape and disorganized arrangement as compared to control ((a) and (d)). The localization of K17 at ORS (arrowhead in (e)) and hair shaft (arrow in (e)) is diffuse in the nectin-1−/−; nectin-3+/− hair follicle as compared to control ((b) and (e)). The arrangement of nuclei is also disturbed in the nectin-1−/−; nectin-3+/− ((b′), (e′), DAPI staining of sections in (b) and (e)). Laminin expression in ORS is lost in the nectin-1−/−; nectin-3+/− hair follicle ((c) and (f)). The membrane localization of E-cadherin and desmoglein 1/2 in ORS and IRS is lost in the nectin-1−/−; nectin-3+/− hair follicles ((g), (h), (j), and (k)). The membrane localization of ZO-1 in matrix cells is severely disturbed in the nectin-1−/−; nectin-3+/− ((i), (i′), (l), and (l′)). Arrowheads in (g)–(l) indicate the magnified regions of insets. Scale bars: 50 μm in (a) and (d), 30 μm in (b) and (e), 100 μm in (c) and (f), and 50 μm in (g)–(l).