By combining live imaging and single stem-cell/progeny labelling in live mice, Valentina Greco and colleagues show that cells located in different compartments of the hair follicle stem-cell niche have different cell fates. Laser ablation shows that multipotent bulge stem cells, central to hair follicle development, are not essential for hair regeneration because epithelial cells can repopulate the lost stem-cell compartment. These findings demonstrate that the position of a stem cell within its extended niche controls its long-term fate and behaviour.
展开▼
