Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41566016›Full record

ArticleCommunications biology2026

ZFP42 maintains stemness and rhythmic transcription in human epidermal stem and progenitor cells via CRY1.

Shuiying Gao, Hao Tan, Shuqia Xu, Zhaoyu Zhang, Yushuang Sun, Yaqiong Li, Dan Jian, Xiaowen Qi, Qing Tang, Run Chen and 5 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Communications biology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Shuiying Gao *Institute of Precision Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Hao Tan *Department of Gynecology, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Obstetrical and Gynecological Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Shuqia Xu *Department of Plastic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Zhaoyu ZhangInstitute of Precision Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Yushuang SunInstitute of Precision Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Yaqiong LiInstitute of Precision Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2057-9454
Dan JianInstitute of Precision Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Xiaowen QiInstitute of Precision Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Qing TangDepartment of Plastic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2191-6785
Run ChenDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Dongyu WangDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Miao ZhenDepartment of Burns, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Peng WangDepartment of Burns, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Bin ShuDepartment of Burns, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Jingting LiInstitute of Precision Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. Lijt66@mail.sysu.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3576-0320

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 82073469;82273561;82473557Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province (Guangdong Natural Science Foundation) 2023A1515010146;2024A1515013194
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The role of circadian rhythm in regulating stemness in adult stem cells remains unclear. We investigated this in human epidermal stem and progenitor cells (EPSCs), finding that ~10% of expressed genes exhibit rhythmicity, with shared genes between fetal and adult EPSCs enriched in critical biological processes including the cell cycle, senescence, and apoptosis. Promoter motif analysis revealed ZFP42, a pluripotent stem cell marker, enriched in fetal rhythmic genes. ZFP42 knockdown led to the loss of stemness in human EPSCs and reduced expression of Cryptochrome Circadian Regulator 1 (CRY1), a core component of the molecular circadian clock that functions as a transcriptional repressor within the CLOCK-BMAL1 feedback loop, resulting in decreased cell proliferation and increased differentiation gene expression. These results highlight the critical role of ZFP42 in the circadian regulation of epidermal homeostasis, linking stemness maintenance to circadian mechanisms. Our findings deepen the understanding of how circadian rhythms govern epidermal stem cell functions.

Indexed as

Circadian RhythmCryptochromesDNA-Binding ProteinsEpidermal CellsStem CellsTranscription FactorsTranscription, GeneticCell DifferentiationCell ProliferationHumansCRY1 protein, humanCryptochromesDNA-Binding ProteinsTranscription Factors

Identifiers

PMID41566016
PMCPMC12923524

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.