Randall Widelitz, PhD

When organs are damaged due to injury they can be repaired or regenerated. Repair produces scars which do not offer complete functionality. In contrast, regeneration restores complete functionality. We have been trying to understand why in some tissues, repair is the primary response and in others regeneration is the primary response to injury. In particular, we have been studying the role of adult progenitor cells in tissue regeneration using ectodermal organs (hairs, feathers, and teeth) as models. Our focus has been on molecular and cellular aspects stem cell activation and how cells are guided for proper morphogenesis.

• The mechano-chemical circuit drives skin organoid self-organization Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2023 09 05; 120(36):e2221982120. . View in PubMed
• Global feather orientations changed by electric current iScience. 2021 Jun 25; 24(6):102671. . View in PubMed
• Instructive role of melanocytes during pigment pattern formation of the avian skin Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2019 04 02; 116(14):6884-6890. . View in PubMed
• MicroCT Imaging on Living Alligator Teeth Reveals Natural Tooth Cycling Methods Mol Biol. 2017; 1650:355-362. . View in PubMed
• Diverse feather shape evolution enabled by coupling anisotropic signalling modules with self-organizing branching programme Nat Commun. 2017 01 20; 8:ncomms14139. . View in PubMed
• Self-organization process in newborn skin organoid formation inspires strategy to restore hair regeneration of adult cells Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2017 08 22; 114(34):E7101-E7110. . View in PubMed
• The Molecular Circuit Regulating Tooth Development in Crocodilians J Dent Res. 2016 Dec; 95(13):1501-1510. . View in PubMed
• The Modulatable Stem Cell Niche: Tissue Interactions during Hair and Feather Follicle Regeneration J Mol Biol. 2016 Apr 10; 428(7):1423-40. . View in PubMed
• Quorum sensing and other collective regenerative behavior in organ populations Curr Opin Genet Dev. 2016 10; 40:138-143. . View in PubMed
• Topographical mapping of a- and ß-keratins on developing chicken skin integuments: Functional interaction and evolutionary perspectives Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2015 Dec 08; 112(49):E6770-9. . View in PubMed
• Proper BMP Signaling Levels Are Essential for 3D Assembly of Hepatic Cords from Hepatoblasts and Mesenchymal Cells Dig Dis Sci. 2015 Dec; 60(12):3669-80. . View in PubMed
• Roles of GasderminA3 in Catagen-Telogen Transition During Hair Cycling J Invest Dermatol. 2015 Sep; 135(9):2162-2172. . View in PubMed
• Deciphering principles of morphogenesis from temporal and spatial patterns on the integument Dev Dyn. 2015 Aug; 244(8):905-20. . View in PubMed
• Organ-level quorum sensing directs regeneration in hair stem cell populations Cell. 2015 Apr 09; 161(2):277-90. . View in PubMed
• Development, regeneration, and evolution of feathers Annu Rev Anim Biosci. 2015; 3:169-95. . View in PubMed
• SnapShot: Branching MorphogenesisCell. 2014 Aug 28; 158(5):1212-1212. e1. . View in PubMed
• Genomic organization, transcriptomic analysis, and functional characterization of avian a- and ß-keratins in diverse feather forms Genome Biol Evol. 2014 Aug 24; 6(9):2258-73. . View in PubMed
• Regenerative hair waves in aging mice and extra-follicular modulators follistatin, dkk1, and sfrp4 J Invest Dermatol. 2014 Aug; 134(8):2086-2096. . View in PubMed
• Modulating hair follicle size with Wnt10b/DKK1 during hair regeneration Exp Dermatol. 2014 Jun; 23(6):407-13. . View in PubMed
• Dkk2/Frzb in the dermal papillae regulates feather regeneration Dev Biol. 2014 Mar 15; 387(2):167-78. . View in PubMed
• Disrupted ectodermal organ morphogenesis in mice with a conditional histone deacetylase 1, 2 deletion in the epidermis J Invest Dermatol. 2014 Jan; 134(1):24-32. . View in PubMed
• Topology of feather melanocyte progenitor niche allows complex pigment patterns to emerge Science. 2013 Jun 21; 340(6139):1442-5. . View in PubMed
• Specialized stem cell niche enables repetitive renewal of alligator teeth Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 May 28; 110(22):E2009-18. . View in PubMed
• Shaping organs by a wingless-int/Notch/nonmuscle myosin module which orients feather bud elongation Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 Apr 16; 110(16):E1452-61. . View in PubMed
• Therapeutic strategy for hair regeneration: hair cycle activation, niche environment modulation, wound-induced follicle neogenesis, and stem cell engineering Expert Opin Biol Ther. 2013 Mar; 13(3):377-91. . View in PubMed
• Competitive balance of intrabulge BMP/Wnt signaling reveals a robust gene network ruling stem cell homeostasis and cyclic activation Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 Jan 22; 110(4):1351-6. . View in PubMed
• Module-based complexity formation: periodic patterning in feathers and hairs Wiley Interdiscip Rev Dev Biol. 2013 Jan-Feb; 2(1):97-112. . View in PubMed
• Tuning Wnt signals for more or fewer hairs J Invest Dermatol. 2013 Jan; 133(1):7-9. . View in PubMed
• Progressive alopecia reveals decreasing stem cell activation probability during aging of mice with epidermal deletion of DNA methyltransferase 1 J Invest Dermatol. 2012 Dec; 132(12):2681-90. . View in PubMed
• Sprouty/FGF signaling regulates the proximal-distal feather morphology and the size of dermal papillae Dev Biol. 2012 Dec 01; 372(1):45-54. . View in PubMed
• Physiological regeneration of skin appendages and implications for regenerative medicine Physiology (Bethesda). 2012 Apr; 27(2):61-72. . View in PubMed
• Roles of EphB3/ephrin-B1 in feather morphogenesis Int J Dev Biol. 2012; 56(9):719-28. . View in PubMed
• The chicken frizzle feather is due to an a-keratin (KRT75) mutation that causes a defective rachis PLoS Genet. 2012; 8(7):e1002748. . View in PubMed
• From buds to follicles: matrix metalloproteinases in developmental tissue remodeling during feather morphogenesis Differentiation. 2011 Jun; 81(5):307-14. . View in PubMed
• Self-organizing and stochastic behaviors during the regeneration of hair stem cells Science. 2011 Apr 29; 332(6029):586-9. . View in PubMed
• In search of the Golden Fleece: unraveling principles of morphogenesis by studying the integrative biology of skin appendages Integr Biol (Camb). 2011 Apr; 3(4):388-407. . View in PubMed
• Spots and stripes: pleomorphic patterning of stem cells via p-ERK-dependent cell chemotaxis shown by feather morphogenesis and mathematical simulation Dev Biol. 2009 Oct 15; 334(2):369-82. . View in PubMed
• The river of stem cells Cell Stem Cell. 2009 Feb 06; 4(2):100-2. . View in PubMed
• Analyses of regenerative wave patterns in adult hair follicle populations reveal macro-environmental regulation of stem cell activity Int J Dev Biol. 2009; 53(5-6):857-68. . View in PubMed
• Conversion of the nipple to hair-bearing epithelia by lowering bone morphogenetic protein pathway activity at the dermal-epidermal interface Am J Pathol. 2008 Nov; 173(5):1339-48. . View in PubMed
• Wnt signaling in skin organogenesis Organogenesis. 2008 Apr; 4(2):123-33. . View in PubMed
• Mammary glands and feathers: comparing two skin appendages which help define novel classes during vertebrate evolution Semin Cell Dev Biol. 2007 Apr; 18(2):255-66. . View in PubMed
• Molecular signaling in feather morphogenesis Curr Opin Cell Biol. 2006 Dec; 18(6):730-41. . View in PubMed
• Distinct mechanisms underlie pattern formation in the skin and skin appendages Birth Defects Res C Embryo Today. 2006 Sep; 78(3):280-91. . View in PubMed
• Morphoregulation of avian beaks: comparative mapping of growth zone activities and morphological evolution Dev Dyn. 2006 May; 235(5):1400-12. . View in PubMed
• Wnt3a gradient converts radial to bilateral feather symmetry via topological arrangement of epithelia Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 Jan 24; 103(4):951-5. . View in PubMed
• Mapping stem cell activities in the feather follicle Nature. 2005 Dec 15; 438(7070):1026-9. . View in PubMed
• Wnt signaling through canonical and non-canonical pathways: recent progress Growth Factors. 2005 Jun; 23(2):111-6. . View in PubMed
• Rooster feathering, androgenic alopecia, and hormone-dependent tumor growth: what is in common? Differentiation. 2004 Dec; 72(9-10):474-88.. View in PubMed
• Molecular shaping of the beak Science. 2004 Sep 03; 305(5689):1465-6. . View in PubMed
• Regulating the regulators: routing the Wnt-beta-catenin–Lef signals J Invest Dermatol. 2004 Aug; 123(2):VIII-X. . View in PubMed
• Sculpting skin appendages out of epidermal layers via temporally and spatially regulated apoptotic events J Invest Dermatol. 2004 Jun; 122(6):1348-55. . View in PubMed
• Distinct Wnt members regulate the hierarchical morphogenesis of skin regions (spinal tract) and individual feathers Mech Dev. 2004 Feb; 121(2):157-71. . View in PubMed
• Morphogenesis of chicken liver: identification of localized growth zones and the role of beta-catenin/Wnt in size regulation Dev Biol. 2004 Feb 01; 266(1):109-22. . View in PubMed
• Integument pattern formation involves genetic and epigenetic controls: feather arrays simulated by digital hormone models Int J Dev Biol. 2004; 48(2-3):117-35. . View in PubMed
• Evo-Devo of amniote integuments and appendages Int J Dev Biol. 2004; 48(2-3):249-70. . View in PubMed
• The biology of feather follicles Int J Dev Biol. 2004; 48(2-3):181-91. . View in PubMed
• Adaptation to the sky: Defining the feather with integument fossils from mesozoic China and experimental evidence from molecular laboratories J Exp Zool B Mol Dev Evol. 2003 Aug 15; 298(1):42-56. . View in PubMed
• Molecular biology of feather morphogenesis: a testable model for evo-devo research J Exp Zool B Mol Dev Evol. 2003 Aug 15; 298(1):109-22. . View in PubMed
• Shift of localized growth zones contributes to skin appendage morphogenesis: role of the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway J Invest Dermatol. 2003 Jan; 120(1):20-6. . View in PubMed
• The morphogenesis of feathers Nature. 2002 Nov 21; 420(6913):308-12. . View in PubMed
• Synergistic coactivator function by coactivator-associated arginine methyltransferase (CARM) 1 and beta-catenin with two different classes of DNA-binding transcriptional activators J Biol Chem. 2002 Jul 19; 277(29):26031-5. . View in PubMed
• Sonic hedgehog signaling pathway in vertebrate epithelial appendage morphogenesis: perspectives in development and evolution Cell Mol Life Sci. 2000 Nov; 57(12):1672-81. . View in PubMed
• Evo-devo of feathers and scales: building complex epithelial appendages Curr Opin Genet Dev. 2000 Aug; 10(4):449-56. . View in PubMed
• beta-catenin in epithelial morphogenesis: conversion of part of avian foot scales into feather buds with a mutated beta-catenin Dev Biol. 2000 Mar 01; 219(1):98-114. . View in PubMed
• Msx-2 and the regulation of organ size: epidermal thickness and hair length J Investig Dermatol Symp Proc. 1999 Dec; 4(3):278-81. . View in PubMed
• In vivo analysis of cancerous gene expression by RNA-polymerase chain reaction Nucleic Acids Res. 1999 Dec 01; 27(23):4585-9. . View in PubMed
• Early events in skin appendage formation: induction of epithelial placodes and condensation of dermal mesenchyme J Investig Dermatol Symp Proc. 1999 Dec; 4(3):302-6. . View in PubMed
• Self-organization of periodic patterns by dissociated feather mesenchymal cells and the regulation of size, number and spacing of primordia Development. 1999 Nov; 126(22):4997-5009. . View in PubMed
• Epidermal dysplasia and abnormal hair follicles in transgenic mice overexpressing homeobox gene MSX-2 J Invest Dermatol. 1999 Aug; 113(2):230-7. . View in PubMed
• Wnt-7a in feather morphogenesis: involvement of anterior-posterior asymmetry and proximal-distal elongation demonstrated with an in vitro reconstitution model Development. 1999 Jun; 126(12):2577-87. . View in PubMed
• Local inhibitory action of BMPs and their relationships with activators in feather formation: implications for periodic patterning Dev Biol. 1998 Apr 01; 196(1):11-23. . View in PubMed
• Lineage and pluripotentiality of epithelial precursor cells in developing chicken skin Biochem Cell Biol. 1998; 76(6):1069-77. . View in PubMed
• Isolation and characterization of chicken beta-catenin Gene. 1997 Sep 01; 196(1-2):201-7. . View in PubMed
• Molecular histology in skin appendage morphogenesis Microsc Res Tech. 1997 Aug 15; 38(4):452-65. . View in PubMed
• FGF induces new feather buds from developing avian skin J Invest Dermatol. 1996 Dec; 107(6):797-803. . View in PubMed
• Early events during avian skin appendage regeneration: dependence on epithelial-mesenchymal interaction and order of molecular reappearance J Invest Dermatol. 1996 Oct; 107(4):639-46. . View in PubMed
• cDCC (chicken homologue to a gene deleted in colorectal carcinoma) is an epithelial adhesion molecule expressed in the basal cells and involved in epithelial-mesenchymal interaction Dev Biol. 1994 Aug; 164(2):383-97. . View in PubMed
• Adhesion molecules in skeletogenesis: IINeural cell adhesion molecules mediate precartilaginous mesenchymal condensations and enhance chondrogenesis. J Cell Physiol. 1993 Aug; 156(2):399-411. . View in PubMed
• Adhesion molecules and homeoproteins in the phenotypic determination of skin appendages J Invest Dermatol. 1993 Jul; 101(1 Suppl):10S-15S. . View in PubMed
• Roles of adhesion molecules NCAM and tenascin in limb skeletogenesis: analysis with antibody perturbation, exogenous gene expression, talpid mutants and activin stimulation Prog Clin Biol Res. 1993; 383B:465-74. . View in PubMed
• Replication-defective virus infection of feather buds produces a localized region of beta-galactosidase activity Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1992 Jul 31; 186(2):1020-4. . View in PubMed
• Mechanism of skin morphogenesisII. Retinoic acid modulates axis orientation and phenotypes of skin appendages. Development. 1992 Jul; 115(3):839-52. . View in PubMed
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• Chuong, Cheng-Ming
• McMahon, Andrew
• Wu, Ping
• Chai, Yang
• Warburton, David