METTL1-mediated m7G modification regulates hair follicle cycle via the HOXC13/FOXN1/DSG4 axis.

METTL1-mediated m7G modification of HOXC13 mRNA is essential for proper hair follicle cycling and regeneration in keratinocytes.

• Why it matters: Understanding how post-transcriptional regulation influences hair follicle stem cell fate can reveal new targets for hair loss treatments and tissue regeneration strategies.
• What they did: The study used conditional knockout and knock-in mouse models to manipulate Mettl1 in keratinocytes, examining effects on hair follicle development, regeneration, and keratinocyte adhesion, and analyzed mRNA stability and signaling pathways.
• The result: Loss of Mettl1 causes hair follicle dysplasia and impaired regeneration by destabilizing HOXC13 mRNA and downregulating the HOXC13/FOXN1/DSG4 axis, highlighting METTL1’s role in post-transcriptional regulation of hair follicle biology.