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Jussila AR, Zhang B, Caves E, Kirti S, Steele M, Hamburg-Shields E, Lydon J, Ying Y, Lafyatis R, Rajagopalan S, Horsley V, Atit RP. Skin Fibrosis and Recovery Is Dependent on Wnt Activation via DPP4. J Invest Dermatol 2022; 142:1597-1606.e9. [PMID: 34808238 PMCID: PMC9120259 DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2021.10.025] [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: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/31/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Fibrosis is the life-threatening, excessive accumulation of the extracellular matrix and is sometimes associated with a loss of lipid-filled cells in the skin and other organs. Understanding the mechanisms of fibrosis and associated lipodystrophy and their reversal may reveal new targets for therapeutic intervention. In vivo genetic models are needed to identify key targets that induce recovery from established fibrosis. Wnt signaling is activated in animal and human fibrotic diseases across organs. Here, we developed a genetically inducible and reversible Wnt activation model and showed that it is sufficient to cause fibrotic dermal remodeling, including extracellular matrix expansion and shrinking of dermal adipocytes. Upon withdrawal from Wnt activation, Wnt-induced fibrotic remodeling was reversed in mouse skin-fully restoring skin architecture. Next, we demonstrated CD26/ DPP4 is a Wnt/β-catenin-responsive gene and a functional mediator of fibrotic transformation. We provide genetic evidence that the Wnt/DPP4 axis is required to drive fibrotic dermal remodeling and is associated with human skin fibrosis severity. Remarkably, DPP4 inhibitors can be repurposed to accelerate recovery from established Wnt-induced fibrosis. Collectively, this study identifies Wnt/DPP4 axis as a key driver of extracellular matrix homeostasis and dermal fat loss, providing therapeutic avenues to manipulate the onset and reversal of tissue fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna R Jussila
- Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Brian Zhang
- Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Elizabeth Caves
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Sakin Kirti
- Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Miarasa Steele
- Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Emily Hamburg-Shields
- Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - John Lydon
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Yan Ying
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Robert Lafyatis
- Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Sanjay Rajagopalan
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University Hospitals Harrington Heart and Vascular Institute (HHVI), Case Cardiovascular Research Institute, Department of Internal Medicine and Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Valerie Horsley
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Radhika P Atit
- Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
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Takeichi T, Hirabayashi T, Miyasaka Y, Kawamoto A, Okuno Y, Taguchi S, Tanahashi K, Murase C, Takama H, Tanaka K, Boeglin WE, Calcutt MW, Watanabe D, Kono M, Muro Y, Ishikawa J, Ohno T, Brash AR, Akiyama M. SDR9C7 catalyzes critical dehydrogenation of acylceramides for skin barrier formation. J Clin Invest 2020; 130:890-903. [PMID: 31671075 DOI: 10.1172/jci130675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Accepted: 10/24/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The corneocyte lipid envelope, composed of covalently bound ceramides and fatty acids, is important to the integrity of the permeability barrier in the stratum corneum, and its absence is a prime structural defect in various skin diseases associated with defective skin barrier function. SDR9C7 encodes a short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase family 9C member 7 (SDR9C7) recently found mutated in ichthyosis. In a patient with SDR9C7 mutation and a mouse Sdr9c7-KO model, we show loss of covalent binding of epidermal ceramides to protein, a structural fault in the barrier. For reasons unresolved, protein binding requires lipoxygenase-catalyzed transformations of linoleic acid (18:2) esterified in ω-O-acylceramides. In Sdr9c7-/- epidermis, quantitative liquid chromatography-mass spectometry (LC-MS) assays revealed almost complete loss of a species of ω-O-acylceramide esterified with linoleate-9,10-trans-epoxy-11E-13-ketone; other acylceramides related to the lipoxygenase pathway were in higher abundance. Recombinant SDR9C7 catalyzed NAD+-dependent dehydrogenation of linoleate 9,10-trans-epoxy-11E-13-alcohol to the corresponding 13-ketone, while ichthyosis mutants were inactive. We propose, therefore, that the critical requirement for lipoxygenases and SDR9C7 is in producing acylceramide containing the 9,10-epoxy-11E-13-ketone, a reactive moiety known for its nonenzymatic coupling to protein. This suggests a mechanism for coupling of ceramide to protein and provides important insights into skin barrier formation and pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuya Takeichi
- Department of Dermatology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Hirabayashi
- Laboratory of Biomembrane, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuki Miyasaka
- Division of Experimental Animals, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Akane Kawamoto
- Biological Science Research Laboratories, Kao Corporation, Haga, Tochigi, Japan
| | - Yusuke Okuno
- Medical Genomics Center, Nagoya University Hospital, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Shijima Taguchi
- Division of Dermatology, Mito Kyodo General Hospital, Mito, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Kana Tanahashi
- Department of Dermatology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Chiaki Murase
- Department of Dermatology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Takama
- Department of Dermatology, Aichi Medical University, Nagakute, Japan
| | - Kosei Tanaka
- Analytical Science Research Laboratories, Kao Corporation, Haga, Tochigi, Japan
| | | | - M Wade Calcutt
- Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Daisuke Watanabe
- Department of Dermatology, Aichi Medical University, Nagakute, Japan
| | - Michihiro Kono
- Department of Dermatology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Yoshinao Muro
- Department of Dermatology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Junko Ishikawa
- Biological Science Research Laboratories, Kao Corporation, Haga, Tochigi, Japan
| | - Tamio Ohno
- Division of Experimental Animals, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Alan R Brash
- Departments of Pharmacology and Biochemistry and
| | - Masashi Akiyama
- Department of Dermatology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
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Akiyama M. Acylceramide is a key player in skin barrier function: insight into the molecular mechanisms of skin barrier formation and ichthyosis pathogenesis. FEBS J 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/febs.15497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Masashi Akiyama
- Department of Dermatology Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine Nagoya Japan
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Takeichi T. SDR9C7 plays an essential role in skin barrier function by dehydrogenating acylceramide for covalent attachment to proteins. J Dermatol Sci 2020; 98:82-87. [PMID: 32305239 DOI: 10.1016/j.jdermsci.2020.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Among the components of the barrier structure of the stratum corneum in human skin, the corneocyte lipid envelope (CLE) is extremely important for the skin barrier. The importance of the CLE and esterified ω-hydroxy sphingosine (CerEOS), its main precursor, has been suggested from the fact that mutations in a number of genes involved in CerEOS synthesis and CLE formation have been identified as genetic causes of congenital ichthyoses, which are severe genetic skin disorders. However, the molecule/mechanism involved in the covalent binding of CerEOS to proteins on the outer surface of the cornified cell envelope had been a missing part. Very recently, we proposed new potential modes of protein binding by covalent reactions of CerEOS-epoxy-enone. We revealed the biochemical function of short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase family 9C member 7 (SDR9C7), encoded by SDR9C7, as catalyzing the dehydrogenation of the lipoxygenase products that are esterified in CerEOS. Epoxy-enone produced by SDR9C7 covalently binds to proteins on the outer extracellular surface of the cornified cell envelope. Importantly, our recent striking findings were derived from the detailed lipid analysis of only one ARCI patient with SDR9C7 mutation. The combination of detailed analyses of precious samples from a rare patient and the establishment of corresponding animal models is an effective and powerful tool for analyzing rare inherited diseases. This review summarizes this newly revealed mechanism in skin barrier formation, describes the characteristic features of patients with SDR9C7 mutations, and introduces the clinical value of non-invasive analyses for patients with very rare intractable skin diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuya Takeichi
- Department of Dermatology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.
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Zhang H, Ericsson M, Weström S, Vahlquist A, Virtanen M, Törmä H. Patients with congenital ichthyosis and TGM1 mutations overexpress other ARCI genes in the skin: Part of a barrier repair response? Exp Dermatol 2018; 28:1164-1171. [PMID: 30372788 PMCID: PMC7379499 DOI: 10.1111/exd.13813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2018] [Revised: 10/16/2018] [Accepted: 10/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Autosomal recessive congenital ichthyosis (ARCI) is a group of monogenic skin disorders caused by mutations in any of at least 12 different genes, many of which are involved in the epidermal synthesis of ω-O-acylceramides (acylCer). AcylCer are essential precursors of the corneocyte lipid envelope crosslinked by transglutaminase-1 (TGm-1), or a yet unidentified enzyme, for normal skin barrier formation. We hypothesized that inactivating TGM1 mutations will lead to a compensatory overexpression of the transcripts involved in skin barrier repair, including many other ARCI-causing genes. Using microarray, we examined the global mRNA expression profile in skin biopsies from five ARCI patients with TGM1 mutations and four healthy controls. There were a total of 599 significantly differentially expressed genes (adjusted P < 0.05), out of which 272 showed more than 1.5 log2fold-change (FC) up- or down-regulation. Functional classification of the latter group of transcripts showed enrichment of mRNA encoding proteins mainly associated with biological pathways involved in keratinocyte differentiation and immune response. Moreover, the expression of seven out of twelve ARCI-causing genes was significantly increased (FC = 0.98-2.05). Also, many of the genes involved in keratinocyte differentiation (cornified envelope formation) and immune response (antimicrobial peptides and proinflammatory cytokines) were upregulated. The results from the microarray analysis were also verified for selected genes at the mRNA level by qPCR and at the protein level by semi-quantitative immunofluorescence. The upregulation of these genes might reflect a compensatory induction of acylCer biosynthesis as a part of a global barrier repair response in the patient's epidermis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanqian Zhang
- Department of Medical Sciences, Dermatology and Venereology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Maja Ericsson
- Department of Medical Sciences, Dermatology and Venereology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Simone Weström
- Department of Medical Sciences, Dermatology and Venereology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Anders Vahlquist
- Department of Medical Sciences, Dermatology and Venereology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Marie Virtanen
- Department of Medical Sciences, Dermatology and Venereology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Hans Törmä
- Department of Medical Sciences, Dermatology and Venereology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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