Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40121237›Full record

ArticleNature communications2025

MCL‑1 safeguards activated hair follicle stem cells to enable adult hair regeneration.

Hui San Chin, Jinming Cheng, Shih Han Hsu, Guo Guang Lum, Maria Tk Zaldivia, Sarmilla Nelameham, Fusheng Guo, Keerthana Mallavarapu, Felicity C Jackling, Jicheng Yang and 10 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

20 authors.

Hui San ChinCancer and Stem Cell Biology Program, Duke‑NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore. huisan.chin@duke-nus.edu.sg.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4934-2090
Jinming ChengBioinformatics Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3806-4694
Shih Han HsuCancer and Stem Cell Biology Program, Duke‑NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.
Guo Guang LumCancer and Stem Cell Biology Program, Duke‑NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.
Maria Tk ZaldiviaCancer Biology and Stem Cells Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
Sarmilla NelamehamCancer and Stem Cell Biology Program, Duke‑NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.
Fusheng GuoCancer and Stem Cell Biology Program, Duke‑NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.
Keerthana MallavarapuCancer and Stem Cell Biology Program, Duke‑NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.
Felicity C JacklingCancer Biology and Stem Cells Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0767-3596
Jicheng YangCancer Biology and Stem Cells Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9303-1046
Jonathan S L TanA*STAR Skin Research Labs (A*SRL), Agency for Science Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore.
Prabha SampathCancer and Stem Cell Biology Program, Duke‑NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.
Nick BarkerInstitute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3566-4475
Gordon K SmythBioinformatics Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9221-2892
Geoffrey J LindemanCancer Biology and Stem Cells Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9386-2416
Andreas StrasserDepartment of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5020-4891
Jane E VisvaderCancer Biology and Stem Cells Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9173-6977
Yunshun ChenBioinformatics Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4911-5653
Ting ChenNational Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7404-4538
Nai Yang FuCancer and Stem Cell Biology Program, Duke‑NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore. fu@wehi.edu.au.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5457-4323

Funding

Department of Health | National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) 1037230Department of Health | National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) 1058892Department of Health | National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) 1102742Department of Health | National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) 1175960Department of Health | National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) 2007887Department of Health | National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) 2026004Ministry of Education - Singapore (MOE) MOE2017‑T2‑2‑047Ministry of Education - Singapore (MOE) MOE2019‑T2‑2‑006MOH | National Medical Research Council (NMRC) MOH‑000546
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Hair follicles cycle through expansion, regression and quiescence. To investigate the role of MCL‑1, a BCL‑2 family protein with anti‑apoptotic and apoptosis‑unrelated functions, we delete Mcl‑1 within the skin epithelium using constitutive and inducible systems. Constitutive Mcl‑1 deletion does not impair hair follicle organogenesis but leads to gradual hair loss and elimination of hair follicle stem cells. Acute Mcl‑1 deletion rapidly depletes activated hair follicle stem cells and completely blocks depilation‑induced hair regeneration in adult mice, while quiescent hair follicle stem cells remain unaffected. Single‑cell RNA‑seq profiling reveals the engagement of P53 and DNA mismatch repair signaling in hair follicle stem cells upon depilation‑induced activation. Trp53 deletion rescues hair regeneration defects caused by acute Mcl‑1 deletion, highlighting a critical interplay between P53 and MCL‑1 in balancing proliferation and death. The ERBB pathway plays a central role in sustaining the survival of adult activated hair follicle stem cells by promoting MCL‑1 protein expression. Remarkably, the loss of a single Bak allele, a pro‑apoptotic Bcl‑2 effector gene, rescues Mcl‑1 deletion‑induced defects in both hair follicles and mammary glands. These findings demonstrate the pivotal role of MCL‑1 in inhibiting proliferation stress‑induced apoptosis when quiescent stem cells activate to fuel tissue regeneration.

Indexed as

HairHair FollicleMyeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 ProteinRegenerationStem CellsAnimalsApoptosisbcl-2 Homologous Antagonist-Killer ProteinCell ProliferationFemaleMaleMiceMice, Inbred C57BLMice, KnockoutSignal TransductionTumor Suppressor Protein p53bcl-2 Homologous Antagonist-Killer ProteinMcl1 protein, mouseMyeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 ProteinTrp53 protein, mouseTumor Suppressor Protein p53

Identifiers

PMID40121237
PMCPMC11929845

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.