Dermal cysts participate in reparative regeneration of epidermis in Hrhr/Hrhr mice

One of the phenotypic effects of mutation in the Hr gene in mice is disintegration of hair follicles and their degeneration into open funnel-shaped structures (utricles) opened on skin surface and cysts located in the depth of the dermis. The aim of the current study consists in analysis of the process of reparative regeneration of skin in homozygotous mice with one of the mutant alleles of the Hr gene—Hr ^hr . It is shown that epithelial cells that constitute the inner pavement of cysts take part in the process of epithelization of deep skin wounds. This indicates that the competence of ectodermal cells in relation to inductive signals from injured skin remains in Hr ^hr homozygote mice, in spite of the significant anatomic abnormalities of the hair follicles.