{
  "abstract": "Adult stem cells maintain tissue homeostasis and regenerative capacity, but mechanisms preserving their integrity under stress remain incompletely understood. Here, we identify BRN2 (POU3F2), a POU-domain transcription factor, as a regulator of melanocyte lineage homeostasis and response to genotoxic stress. Single-cell transcriptomic analyses identified Brn2 among transcription factors preferentially active in melanocyte stem cells (McSCs), with BRN2 activity declining with age in human hair follicle melanocytic cells. Melanocyte-specific Brn2 deletion increased melanocyte differentiation and accumulation in the hair bulb, while downregulating DNA-repair and chromosome-maintenance programs. Despite these changes, Brn2 loss caused neither spontaneous hair greying nor detectable McSC depletion under steady-state conditions. Following ionizing radiation, however, Brn2-deficient cells showed altered DNA-damage responses, reduced mitotic signatures, increased p53 and p21, and enhanced melanocytic differentiation. Irradiated Brn2-deficient mice developed rapid, dose-dependent, permanent hair depigmentation associated with McSC and melanocyte depletion. Thus, BRN2 links POU-dependent transcriptional control to stem-cell resilience under genotoxic stress, preserving melanocyte regenerative capacity and protecting against irradiation-induced hair greying.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Institut Curie"
  ],
  "article_type": "New results",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 11,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "L. Larue"
    },
    {
      "name": "J. H. RAYMOND"
    },
    {
      "name": "M. LE COZ"
    },
    {
      "name": "Z. AKTARY"
    },
    {
      "name": "M. POUTEAUX"
    },
    {
      "name": "M. HAMM"
    },
    {
      "name": "E. Sage"
    },
    {
      "name": "V. FAVAUDON"
    },
    {
      "name": "V. Petit"
    },
    {
      "name": "A. Bellacosa"
    },
    {
      "name": "C. R. Goding"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/d186fkc6ngfpn.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.64898/2026.09.28.754993",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.28.754993v1.full",
  "id": "d186fkc6ngfpn",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.28.754993v1",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "biorxiv",
      "cell biology"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2748|Hair Growth and Disorders"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7219634018",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.28.754993v1.full.pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-09-28",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/d186fkc6ngfpn.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:25:58Z",
      "native_id": "10.64898/2026.09.28.754993",
      "source": "biorxiv",
      "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.28.754993v1"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "biorxiv:cell biology",
      "subfield": "cell-biology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "BRN2 suppresses stress-induced hair greying",
  "title_text": "BRN2 suppresses stress-induced hair greying",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:25:58Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/d186fkc6ngfpn",
  "venue": "bioRxiv",
  "versions": []
}