ACLS
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Kim, S. J.
Right arrow Articles by Rockett, J. C.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Kim, S. J.
Right arrow Articles by Rockett, J. C.
Annals of Clinical & Laboratory Science 36:115-126 (2006)
© 2006 Association of Clinical Scientists

Gene Expression in Head Hair Follicles Plucked from Men and Women

Sung Jae Kim1,2, David J. Dix1, Kary E. Thompson1,*, Rachel N. Murrell1,3,{dagger}, Judith E. Schmid1, Jane E. Gallagher1 and John C. Rockett1,#
1 Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC; 2 Curriculum in Toxicology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC; and 3 Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina

Address correspondence to David J. Dix, Ph.D., National Center for Computational Toxicology (D343-03), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, USA; tel 919 541 2701; fax 919 541 1194; e-mail dix.david{at}epa.gov.

Characterizing gene expression in hair follicles can help to elucidate the hair growth cycle by delineating the genes and pathways involved in follicular growth and degeneration. The objectives of this study were to determine whether intact RNA could be extracted from a small number of plucked, unstaged hair follicles in sufficient quantity to conduct gene expression profiling, and to conduct global gene expression profiling. To this end, RNA was extracted from 1 to 3 unstaged follicles plucked from the scalp of 36 volunteers. The average quantifiable yield of RNA/follicle was 112.5 ng. Ribosomal ratios were lower than normally expected, but investigation indicated the RNA was intact. Ten of the samples were amplified and hybridized to Affymetrix genechips. On average, 2,567 of the total probe sets (8,500) were expressed in each sample; 1,422 were expressed in all 10 samples; 97 were significantly changed in one gender compared to the other, and 41 had high levels of interindividual variability. This study demonstrates that RNA of sufficient quantity and quality to use in microarray hybridizations can be obtained from as little as a single plucked human hair follicle. Genes expressed in all individuals are probably related to follicular growth and could form a starting set for developing signatures of toxicant exposure. The differentially expressed genes could be involved in producing gender and interindividual differences in hair growth.

Keywords: hair follicle, human, adult, gene expression, microarray






HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 2006 by the Association of Clinical Scientists.