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McCarthy RL, Schwartz J, Oldham J, Bodemer C, Greco C, Hovnanian A, Hansen CD, O'Toole EA. A cross-sectional study of erythromelalgia in patients with pachyonychia congenita. Br J Dermatol 2024; 191:300-302. [PMID: 38584300 DOI: 10.1093/bjd/ljae143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2024] [Revised: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Pachyonychia congenita (PC) is a rare genodermatosis characterized by focal palmoplantar keratoderma, severe plantar pain and dystrophic nails. Anecdotally, some patients with PC have erythematous soles and episodic burning plantar pain, indicative of secondary erythromelalgia. This study aimed to identify the prevalence and genetic predictors of erythromelalgia in PC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca L McCarthy
- Centre for Cell Biology and Cutaneous Research, Blizard Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
- Department of Dermatology, Royal London Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK
| | | | - Jaimie Oldham
- Department of Dermatology, Royal London Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Christine Bodemer
- Reference Center for Genodermatoses (MAGEC), Department of Dermatology, APHP, Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris, France
| | - Celine Greco
- Department of Pain and Palliative Care, Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris, France
- ATIP/Avenir Team 'Targeted Pain Therapy and Drug Repurposing in Genetic Skin Diseases', U1163 INSERM, Imagine Institut, Paris, France
| | - Alain Hovnanian
- INSERM UMR 1163, Université Paris Cité, Laboratory of Genetic Skin Diseases, Imagine Institute, Paris, France
| | - C David Hansen
- Pachyonychia Congenita Project, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Department of Dermatology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Edel A O'Toole
- Centre for Cell Biology and Cutaneous Research, Blizard Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
- Department of Dermatology, Royal London Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK
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2
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Reda N, Mohamed KO, Abdou K, Helwa AA, Elshewy A. Novel Pyrimidine-5-Carbonitriles as potential apoptotic and antiproliferative agents by dual inhibition of EGFR WT/T790M and PI3k enzymes; Design, Synthesis, biological Evaluation, and docking studies. Bioorg Chem 2024; 145:107185. [PMID: 38350273 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2024.107185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024]
Abstract
A new series of 6-(4-fluorophenyl)-2-(methylthio) pyrimidine-5-carbonitrile derivatives were designed and synthesized as EGFR/PI3K dual inhibitors, and potential antiproliferative agents. The new 22 compounds were screened by DTP-NCI against all NCI60 cell lines. Almost all compounds showed cytotoxic activity. Compound 7c showed a promising antitumour activity on CNS cancer (SNB-75), and ovarian cancer (OVAR-4) with IC50 < 0.01, and 0.64 µM, respectively. Fortunately, 7c exhibited a better safety profile on normal cells (WI-38) than doxorubicin by 2.2-fold. Compound 7c displayed selective inhibitory activity on EGFRt790m over EGFRWT with IC50 = 0.08, and 0.13 µM, respectively, wherefore it might overcome EGFR-TKIs resistance. In addition to its remarkable inhibitory activity on all PI3K isoforms, specifically PI3K-δ with IC50 = 0.64 µM Compared with LY294002 IC50 = 7.6 µM. Compound 7c arrested the cell cycle of SNB-75 & OVAR-4 at the G0-G1 phase coupled with apoptosis induction. The western blotting analysis approved decreasing the expression level of p-AKT coupled with an increase in Casp3, Casp9, and BAX proteins in the SNB-75 & OVAR-4 after being treated with 7c which may support the suggested mechanism of action of 7c as EGFR/PI3K dual inhibitor. Physicochemical parameters were forecasted using SwissADME online tool. MD showed the interaction of 7c with the crucial amino acids of the active domain of both EGFR/PI3K which may explain its potent inhibitory activities. In vivo study disclosed a significant decrease in tumor weight and the number of nodules in the group of mice treated with 7c compared with the control group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nada Reda
- Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry Department, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Manufacturing, Misr University for Science and Technology (MUST), 6th of October City, Egypt.
| | - Khaled O Mohamed
- Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Kasr El-Aini Street, Cairo 11562, Egypt; Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy. Sinai University (Arish branch), El Arish, Egyptzip code 45511.
| | - Kareem Abdou
- Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo 11562, Egypt.
| | - Amira A Helwa
- Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry Department, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Manufacturing, Misr University for Science and Technology (MUST), 6th of October City, Egypt.
| | - Ahmed Elshewy
- Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Kasr El-Aini Street, Cairo 11562, Egypt; Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Galala University, New Galala 43713, Egypt.
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O'Toole EA, Kelsell DP, Caterina MJ, de Brito M, Hansen D, Hickerson RP, Hovnanian A, Kaspar R, Lane EB, Paller AS, Schwartz J, Shroot B, Teng J, Titeux M, Coulombe PA, Sprecher E. Pachyonychia Congenita: A Research Agenda Leading to New Therapeutic Approaches. J Invest Dermatol 2024; 144:748-754. [PMID: 38099888 DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2023.10.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2024]
Abstract
Pachyonychia congenita (PC) is a dominantly inherited genetic disorder of cornification. PC stands out among other genodermatoses because despite its rarity, it has been the focus of a very large number of pioneering translational research efforts over the past 2 decades, mostly driven by a patient support organization, the Pachyonychia Congenita Project. These efforts have laid the ground for innovative strategies that may broadly impact approaches to the management of other inherited cutaneous and noncutaneous diseases. This article outlines current avenues of research in PC, expected outcomes, and potential hurdles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edel A O'Toole
- Centre for Cell Biology and Cutaneous Research, Blizard Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom; Department of Dermatology, Royal London Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - David P Kelsell
- Centre for Cell Biology and Cutaneous Research, Blizard Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Michael J Caterina
- Department of Neurosurgery, Neurosurgery Pain Research Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Department of Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Marianne de Brito
- Centre for Cell Biology and Cutaneous Research, Blizard Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - David Hansen
- Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Robyn P Hickerson
- Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Alain Hovnanian
- INSERM UMR 1163, Laboratory of genetic skin diseases, Institut Imagine, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France; Department of Genomic Medicine of Rare Diseases, Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Paris, France
| | | | - E Birgitte Lane
- A∗STAR Skin Research Laboratories, Skin Research Institute of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Amy S Paller
- Department of Dermatology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | | | | | - Joyce Teng
- Pediatric Dermatology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Matthias Titeux
- INSERM UMR 1163, Laboratory of genetic skin diseases, Institut Imagine, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Pierre A Coulombe
- Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Department of Dermatology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Eli Sprecher
- Division of Dermatology, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel; Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
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Rosenberg FM, Kamali Z, Voorberg AN, Oude Munnink TH, van der Most PJ, Snieder H, Vaez A, Schuttelaar MLA. Transcriptomics- and Genomics-Guided Drug Repurposing for the Treatment of Vesicular Hand Eczema. Pharmaceutics 2024; 16:476. [PMID: 38675137 PMCID: PMC11054470 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16040476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Vesicular hand eczema (VHE), a clinical subtype of hand eczema (HE), showed limited responsiveness to alitretinoin, the only approved systemic treatment for severe chronic HE. This emphasizes the need for alternative treatment approaches. Therefore, our study aimed to identify drug repurposing opportunities for VHE using transcriptomics and genomics data. We constructed a gene network by combining 52 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from a VHE transcriptomics study with 3 quantitative trait locus (QTL) genes associated with HE. Through network analysis, clustering, and functional enrichment analyses, we investigated the underlying biological mechanisms of this network. Next, we leveraged drug-gene interactions and retrieved pharmaco-transcriptomics data from the DrugBank database to identify drug repurposing opportunities for (V)HE. We developed a drug ranking system, primarily based on efficacy, safety, and practical and pricing factors, to select the most promising drug repurposing candidates. Our results revealed that the (V)HE network comprised 78 genes that yielded several biological pathways underlying the disease. The drug-gene interaction search together with pharmaco-transcriptomics lookups revealed 123 unique drug repurposing opportunities. Based on our drug ranking system, our study identified the most promising drug repurposing opportunities (e.g., vitamin D analogues, retinoids, and immunomodulating drugs) that might be effective in treating (V)HE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fieke M. Rosenberg
- Department of Dermatology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands; (F.M.R.); (A.N.V.)
| | - Zoha Kamali
- Department of Epidemiology, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands (H.S.)
- Department of Bioinformatics, School of Advanced Medical Technologies, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan P.O. Box 81746-7346, Iran
| | - Angelique N. Voorberg
- Department of Dermatology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands; (F.M.R.); (A.N.V.)
| | - Thijs H. Oude Munnink
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands;
| | - Peter J. van der Most
- Department of Epidemiology, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands (H.S.)
| | - Harold Snieder
- Department of Epidemiology, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands (H.S.)
| | - Ahmad Vaez
- Department of Epidemiology, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands (H.S.)
- Department of Bioinformatics, School of Advanced Medical Technologies, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan P.O. Box 81746-7346, Iran
| | - Marie L. A. Schuttelaar
- Department of Dermatology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands; (F.M.R.); (A.N.V.)
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Cohen E, Johnson CN, Wasikowski R, Billi AC, Tsoi LC, Kahlenberg JM, Gudjonsson JE, Coulombe PA. Significance of stress keratin expression in normal and diseased epithelia. iScience 2024; 27:108805. [PMID: 38299111 PMCID: PMC10828818 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.108805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
A group of keratin intermediate filament genes, the type II KRT6A-C and type I KRT16 and KRT17, are deemed stress responsive as they are induced in keratinocytes of surface epithelia in response to environmental stressors, in skin disorders (e.g., psoriasis) and in carcinomas. Monitoring stress keratins is widely used to identify keratinocytes in an activated state. Here, we analyze single-cell transcriptomic data from healthy and diseased human skin to explore the properties of stress keratins. Relative to keratins occurring in healthy skin, stress-induced keratins are expressed at lower levels and show lesser type I-type II pairwise regulation. Stress keratins do not "replace" the keratins expressed during normal differentiation nor reflect cellular proliferation. Instead, stress keratins are consistently co-regulated with genes with roles in differentiation, inflammation, and/or activation of innate immunity at the single-cell level. These findings provide a roadmap toward explaining the broad diversity and contextual regulation of keratins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erez Cohen
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Craig N. Johnson
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Rachael Wasikowski
- Department of Dermatology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Allison C. Billi
- Department of Dermatology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Lam C. Tsoi
- Department of Dermatology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - J. Michelle Kahlenberg
- Department of Dermatology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Johann E. Gudjonsson
- Department of Dermatology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Pierre A. Coulombe
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Dermatology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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Li P, Rietscher K, Jopp H, Magin TM, Omary MB. Posttranslational modifications of keratins and their associated proteins as therapeutic targets in keratin diseases. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2023; 85:102264. [PMID: 37925932 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2023.102264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
The keratin cytoskeleton protects epithelia against mechanical, nonmechanical, and physical stresses, and participates in multiple signaling pathways that regulate cell integrity and resilience. Keratin gene mutations cause multiple rare monoallelic epithelial diseases termed keratinopathies, including the skin diseases Epidermolysis Bullosa Simplex (EBS) and Pachyonychia Congenita (PC), with limited available therapies. The disease-related keratin mutations trigger posttranslational modifications (PTMs) in keratins and their associated proteins that can aggravate the disease. Recent findings of drug high-throughput screening have led to the identification of compounds that may be repurposed, since they are used for other human diseases, to treat keratinopathies. These drugs target unique PTM pathways and sites, including phosphorylation and acetylation of keratins and their associated proteins, and have shed insights into keratin regulation and interactions. They also offer the prospect of testing the use of drug mixtures, with the long view of possible beneficial human use coupled with increased efficacy and lower side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei Li
- Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Katrin Rietscher
- Division of Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Henriette Jopp
- Division of Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Thomas M Magin
- Division of Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - M Bishr Omary
- Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA.
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Malovitski K, Sarig O, Feller Y, Bergson S, Assaf S, Mohamad J, Pavlovsky M, Giladi M, Sprecher E. Defective cathepsin Z affects EGFR expression and causes autosomal dominant palmoplantar keratoderma. Br J Dermatol 2023; 189:302-311. [PMID: 37210216 DOI: 10.1093/bjd/ljad167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The abnormal function of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) has recently been shown to underlie various disorders of cornification. OBJECTIVES To delineate the genetic basis of a novel dominant form of palmoplantar keratoderma (PPK). METHODS Whole-exome (WES) and direct sequencing, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, protein modelling, confocal immunofluorescence microscopy, immunoblotting, three-dimensional skin equivalents and an enzyme activity assay were used to delineate the genetic basis of a novel dominant form of PPK. RESULTS WES revealed heterozygous variants (c.274T > C and c.305C > T) in CTSZ (encoding cathepsin Z) in four individuals (belonging to three unrelated families) with focal PPK. Bioinformatics and protein modelling predicted the variants to be pathogenic. Previous studies have suggested that EGFR expression may be subject to cathepsin regulation. Immunofluorescence revealed reduced cathepsin Z expression in the upper epidermal layers and concomitant increased epidermal EGFR expression in patients harbouring CTSZ variants. Accordingly, human keratinocytes transfected with constructs expressing PPK-causing variants in CTSZ displayed reduced cathepsin Z enzymatic activity, as well as increased EGFR expression. In line with the role played by EGFR in the regulation of keratinocyte proliferation, human keratinocytes transfected with the PPK-causing variants showed significantly increased proliferation that was abolished upon exposure to erlotinib, an EGFR inhibitor. Similarly, downregulation of CTSZ resulted in increased EGFR expression and increased proliferation in human keratinocytes, suggestive of a loss-of-function effect of the pathogenic variants. Finally, three-dimensional organotypic skin equivalents grown from CTSZ-downregulated cells showed increased epidermal thickness and EGFR expression as seen in patient skin; here, too, erlotinib was found to rescue the abnormal phenotype. CONCLUSIONS Taken collectively, these observations attribute to cathepsin Z a hitherto unrecognized function in epidermal differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiril Malovitski
- Division of Dermatology
- Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | | | - Yarden Feller
- Division of Dermatology
- Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Shir Bergson
- Division of Dermatology
- Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Sari Assaf
- Division of Dermatology
- Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Janan Mohamad
- Division of Dermatology
- Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | | | - Moshe Giladi
- Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Department of Internal Medicine D, Tel Aviv Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Eli Sprecher
- Division of Dermatology
- Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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Coulombe PA, Orosco A. Inhibiting EGFR Signaling Holds Promise for Treating Palmoplantar Keratodermas. J Invest Dermatol 2023; 143:185-188. [PMID: 36681421 PMCID: PMC10166065 DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2022.09.653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Pierre A Coulombe
- Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Department of Dermatology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
| | - Amanda Orosco
- Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Training program in Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Sachslehner AP, Surbek M, Golabi B, Geiselhofer M, Jäger K, Hess C, Kuchler U, Gruber R, Eckhart L. Transglutaminase Activity Is Conserved in Stratified Epithelia and Skin Appendages of Mammals and Birds. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:2193. [PMID: 36768511 PMCID: PMC9916842 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The cross-linking of structural proteins is critical for establishing the mechanical stability of the epithelial compartments of the skin and skin appendages. The introduction of isopeptide bonds between glutamine and lysine residues depends on catalysis by transglutaminases and represents the main protein cross-linking mechanism besides the formation of disulfide bonds. Here, we used a fluorescent labeling protocol to localize the activity of transglutaminases on thin sections of the integument and its appendages in mammals and birds. In human tissues, transglutaminase activity was detected in the granular layer of the epidermis, suprabasal layers of the gingival epithelium, the duct of sweat glands, hair follicles and the nail matrix. In the skin appendages of chickens, transglutaminase activity was present in the claw matrix, the feather follicle sheath, the feather sheath and in differentiating keratinocytes of feather barb ridges. During chicken embryogenesis, active transglutaminase was found in the cornifying epidermis, the periderm and the subperiderm. Transglutaminase activity was also detected in the filiform papillae on the tongue of mice and in conical papillae on the tongue of chickens. In summary, our study reveals that transglutaminase activities are widely distributed in integumentary structures and suggests that transglutamination contributes to the cornification of hard skin appendages such as nails and feathers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marta Surbek
- Skin Biology Laboratory, Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Bahar Golabi
- Skin Biology Laboratory, Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Miriam Geiselhofer
- Skin Biology Laboratory, Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Karin Jäger
- Skin Biology Laboratory, Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Claudia Hess
- Clinic for Poultry and Fish Medicine, Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Ulrike Kuchler
- Department of Oral Biology, University Clinic of Dentistry, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Reinhard Gruber
- Department of Oral Biology, University Clinic of Dentistry, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Leopold Eckhart
- Skin Biology Laboratory, Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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