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Zhang H, Raymundo JR, Daly KE, Zhu W, Senapati B, Zhong H, Ahilan AR, Marneros AG. AP-2α/AP-2β Transcription Factors Are Key Regulators of Epidermal Homeostasis. J Invest Dermatol 2024; 144:1505-1521.e12. [PMID: 38237728 PMCID: PMC11193656 DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2023.12.017] [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: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
AP-2 transcription factors regulate ectodermal development, but their roles in epidermal homeostasis in adult skin are unknown. We find that AP-2α is the predominant AP-2 family member in adult epidermis, followed by AP-2β. Through inactivation of AP-2α, AP-2β, or both in keratinocytes, we assessed the effects of a gradient of epidermal AP-2 activity on skin function. We find that (i) loss of AP-2β in keratinocytes is compensated for by AP-2α, (ii) loss of AP-2α impairs terminal keratinocyte differentiation and hair morphogenesis, and (iii) the combined loss of AP-2α/AP-2β results in more severe skin and hair abnormalities. Keratinocyte differentiation defects precede progressive neutrophilic skin inflammation. Inducible inactivation of AP-2α/AP-2β in the adult phenocopies these manifestations. Transcriptomic analyses of epidermis lacking AP-2α or AP-2α/AP-2β in keratinocytes demonstrate a terminal keratinocyte differentiation defect with upregulation of alarmin keratins and of several immune pathway regulators. Moreover, our analyses suggest a key role of reduced AP-2α-dependent gene expression of CXCL14 and the keratin 15 gene K15 as an early pathogenic event toward the manifestation of skin inflammation. Thus, AP-2α and AP-2β are critical regulators of epidermal homeostasis in adult skin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Zhang
- Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Department of Dermatology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jackelyn R Raymundo
- Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Department of Dermatology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kathleen E Daly
- Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Department of Dermatology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Wenjuan Zhu
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford Univeristy, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Bill Senapati
- Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Department of Dermatology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Hanyu Zhong
- Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Department of Dermatology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Arjun R Ahilan
- Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Department of Dermatology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Alexander G Marneros
- Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Department of Dermatology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA.
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Miller KA, Cruz Walma DA, Pinkas DM, Tooze RS, Bufton JC, Richardson W, Manning CE, Hunt AE, Cros J, Hartill V, Parker MJ, McGowan SJ, Twigg SRF, Chalk R, Staunton D, Johnson D, Wilkie AOM, Bullock AN. BTB domain mutations perturbing KCTD15 oligomerisation cause a distinctive frontonasal dysplasia syndrome. J Med Genet 2024; 61:490-501. [PMID: 38296633 DOI: 10.1136/jmg-2023-109531] [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: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION KCTD15 encodes an oligomeric BTB domain protein reported to inhibit neural crest formation through repression of Wnt/beta-catenin signalling, as well as transactivation by TFAP2. Heterozygous missense variants in the closely related paralogue KCTD1 cause scalp-ear-nipple syndrome. METHODS Exome sequencing was performed on a two-generation family affected by a distinctive phenotype comprising a lipomatous frontonasal malformation, anosmia, cutis aplasia of the scalp and/or sparse hair, and congenital heart disease. Identification of a de novo missense substitution within KCTD15 led to targeted sequencing of DNA from a similarly affected sporadic patient, revealing a different missense mutation. Structural and biophysical analyses were performed to assess the effects of both amino acid substitutions on the KCTD15 protein. RESULTS A heterozygous c.310G>C variant encoding p.(Asp104His) within the BTB domain of KCTD15 was identified in an affected father and daughter and segregated with the phenotype. In the sporadically affected patient, a de novo heterozygous c.263G>A variant encoding p.(Gly88Asp) was present in KCTD15. Both substitutions were found to perturb the pentameric assembly of the BTB domain. A crystal structure of the BTB domain variant p.(Gly88Asp) revealed a closed hexameric assembly, whereas biophysical analyses showed that the p.(Asp104His) substitution resulted in a monomeric BTB domain likely to be partially unfolded at physiological temperatures. CONCLUSION BTB domain substitutions in KCTD1 and KCTD15 cause clinically overlapping phenotypes involving craniofacial abnormalities and cutis aplasia. The structural analyses demonstrate that missense substitutions act through a dominant negative mechanism by disrupting the higher order structure of the KCTD15 protein complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerry A Miller
- MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - David A Cruz Walma
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Cell Biology Section, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Daniel M Pinkas
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Biological Sciences, Universidad Loyola Andalucía, Seville, Spain
| | - Rebecca S Tooze
- MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Joshua C Bufton
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | | | - Alice E Hunt
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Julien Cros
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Verity Hartill
- Leeds Institute of Medical Research, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
- Yorkshire Regional Genetics Service, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Chapel Allerton Hospital, Leeds, UK
| | - Michael J Parker
- Sheffield Clinical Genomics Service, Sheffield Children's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, UK
| | - Simon J McGowan
- MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Stephen R F Twigg
- MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Rod Chalk
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - David Staunton
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - David Johnson
- Craniofacial Unit, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Andrew O M Wilkie
- MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Craniofacial Unit, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Alex N Bullock
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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Balasco N, Esposito L, Smaldone G, Salvatore M, Vitagliano L. A Comprehensive Analysis of the Structural Recognition between KCTD Proteins and Cullin 3. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1881. [PMID: 38339159 PMCID: PMC10856315 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25031881] [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: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/28/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
KCTD ((K)potassium Channel Tetramerization Domain-containing) proteins constitute an emerging class of proteins involved in fundamental physio-pathological processes. In these proteins, the BTB domain, which represents the defining element of the family, may have the dual role of promoting oligomerization and favoring functionally important partnerships with different interactors. Here, by exploiting the potential of recently developed methodologies for protein structure prediction, we report a comprehensive analysis of the interactions of all KCTD proteins with their most common partner Cullin 3 (Cul3). The data here presented demonstrate the impressive ability of this approach to discriminate between KCTDs that interact with Cul3 and those that do not. Indeed, reliable and stable models of the complexes were only obtained for the 15 members of the family that are known to interact with Cul3. The generation of three-dimensional models for all KCTD-Cul3 complexes provides interesting clues on the determinants of the structural basis of this partnership as clear structural differences emerged between KCTDs that bind or do not bind Cul3. Finally, the availability of accurate three-dimensional models for KCTD-Cul3 interactions may be valuable for the ad hoc design and development of compounds targeting specific KCTDs that are involved in several common diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Balasco
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, CNR c/o Department Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Luciana Esposito
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging, CNR, 80131 Naples, Italy;
| | | | | | - Luigi Vitagliano
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging, CNR, 80131 Naples, Italy;
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