Overview of chromatin regulatory processes during surface ectodermal development and homeostasis.

The ectoderm is the outermost of the three germ layers of the early embryo that arise during gastrulation. Once the germ layers are established, the complex interplay of cellular proliferation, differentiation, and migration results in organogenesis. The ectoderm is the progenitor of both the surface ectoderm and the neural ectoderm.

Tenascin-C expressing touch dome keratinocytes exhibit characteristics of all epidermal lineages.

The touch dome (TD) keratinocytes are specialized epidermal cells that intimately associate with the light touch sensing Merkel cells (MCs). The TD keratinocytes function as a niche for the MCs and can induce de novo hair follicles upon stimulation; however, how the TD keratinocytes are maintained during homeostasis remains unclear. scRNA-seq identified a specific TD keratinocyte marker, (TNC).

Whole-Body Vibration Prevents Neuronal, Neurochemical, and Behavioral Effects of Morphine Withdrawal in a Rat Model.

Peripheral mechanoreceptor-based treatments such as acupuncture and chiropractic manipulation have shown success in modulating the mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system originating in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) of the midbrain and projecting to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) of the striatum. We have previously shown that mechanoreceptor activation via whole-body vibration (WBV) ameliorates neuronal and behavioral effects of chronic ethanol exposure. In this study, we employ a similar paradigm to assess the efficacy of WBV as a preventative measure of neuronal and behavioral effects of morphine withdrawal in a Wistar rat model.

Cleavage Under Targets & Release Using Nuclease (CUT&RUN) of Histone Modifications in Epidermal Stem Cells of Adult Murine Skin.

Cleavage Under Targets & Release Using Nuclease (CUT&RUN) has swiftly become the preferred procedure over the past few years for genomic mapping and detecting interactions between chromatin and its bound proteins. CUT&RUN is now being widely used for characterizing the epigenetic landscape in many cell types as it utilizes far less cell numbers when compared to Chromatin Immunoprecipitation-sequencing (ChIP-seq), thereby making it a powerful tool for researchers working with limited material. This protocol has been specifically optimized for detecting histone modifications in fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS)-isolated epidermal stem cells from adult mice.