Project description:Gene expression profiling reveals a potential effect of microsphere keratin in stimulating hair growth in vivo Mice back was depilated and then treated with 1% milliQ, 1% minoxidil, 1% keratin, 1% microsphere keratin for 20 days. Then the skin was collected and RNA was extracted from thetreatd skin as explained in the following section. The microarray was conducted for two biological replicates
Project description:Expression of genes encoding multiple keratin- and keratin-associated proteins varies between C57BL/6 and MRL/MpJ (superhealer) mice following digit amputation. We characterized changes in gene expression by microarray analysis of regenerating digits in these mice at various timepoints following surgical amputation. These changes were validated by quantitative rtPCR analyses. In this dataset, we include the expression data obtained from regenerating mouse digits following surgical amputation as well unamputated digits (total 24 samples). These data are used to obtain genes that are differentially expressed between the two groups of digits.
Project description:Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a pruritic and inflammatory disorder characterized by elevated levels of thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP). Pruritus is prevalent in epidermolysis bullosa (EB). Currently, epidermal barrier disruption is known to trigger TSLP upregulation, however, mechanisms controlling TSLP expression remain incompletely understood. Tslp levels were highly upregulated in the epidermis and in the serum of keratin-deficient mice. Cultured keratinocytes either lacking keratins or expressing the dominant K14p.Arg131Pro show highly increased TSLP. Re-expression of wild-type K14 normalized TSLP levels. We demonstrate that keratins regulate Tslp expression in parts through MEK1/2 activation. The finding that 8 out of 17 EBS patients show elevated TSLP serum levels supports a major role of keratins in TSLP regulation. Our data identify a novel, keratin-dependent and cell-intrinsic regulation of Tslp. Elevated TSLP levels likely explain the high prevalence of pruritus in EBS and additional forms of EB, suggesting TSLP as novel biomarker for pruritus in EB. MEK1/2, in addition to calcineurin inhibitors, might be suitable drugs to treat itch in EB. Investigation was carried out using Keratin deficient keratinocytes isolated from typeI keratin mice.
Project description:Expression of genes encoding multiple keratin- and keratin-associated proteins varies between C57BL/6 and MRL/MpJ (superhealer) mice following digit amputation. We characterized changes in gene expression by microarray analysis of regenerating digits in these mice at various timepoints following surgical amputation. These changes were validated by quantitative rtPCR analyses.
Project description:Approximately 30% of women diagnosed with ERα breast cancer relapse with metastatic disease following adjuvant treatment with endocrine therapies. The connection between acquisition of drug resistance and invasive potential is poorly understood. In this study, we demonstrate that the type II keratin topological associating domain (TAD) undergoes epigenetic reprogramming in cells that develop resistance to aromatase inhibitors (AI), leading to keratin 80 (KRT80) upregulation. In agreement, an increased number of KRT80-positive cells are observed at relapse in vivo while KRT80 expression associates with poor outcome using several clinical endpoints. KRT80 expression is driven by de novo enhancer activation by sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 (SREBP1). KRT80 upregulation directly promotes cytoskeletal rearrangements at the leading edge, increased focal adhesion maturation and cellular stiffening, which collectively promote cancer cell invasion. Shear-wave elasticity imaging of tumors from prospectively recruited patients shows that KRT80 levels correlate with stiffer tumors in vivo. Collectively, our data uncover an unpredicted and potentially targetable direct link between epigenetic and cytoskeletal reprogramming promoting cell invasion in response to chronic AI treatment.
Project description:Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a pruritic and inflammatory disorder characterized by elevated levels of thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP). Pruritus is prevalent in epidermolysis bullosa (EB). Currently, epidermal barrier disruption is known to trigger TSLP upregulation, however, mechanisms controlling TSLP expression remain incompletely understood. Tslp levels were highly upregulated in the epidermis and in the serum of keratin-deficient mice. Cultured keratinocytes either lacking keratins or expressing the dominant K14p.Arg131Pro show highly increased TSLP. Re-expression of wild-type K14 normalized TSLP levels. We demonstrate that keratins regulate Tslp expression in parts through MEK1/2 activation. The finding that 8 out of 17 EBS patients show elevated TSLP serum levels supports a major role of keratins in TSLP regulation. Our data identify a novel, keratin-dependent and cell-intrinsic regulation of Tslp. Elevated TSLP levels likely explain the high prevalence of pruritus in EBS and additional forms of EB, suggesting TSLP as novel biomarker for pruritus in EB. MEK1/2, in addition to calcineurin inhibitors, might be suitable drugs to treat itch in EB.
Project description:Regional specification is critical for skin development, regeneration and evolution. The contribution of epigenetics in this process remains unknown. Here using avian epidermis we find two major strategies regulate β-keratin gene clusters. 1) Over the body, macro-regional specificities (scales, feathers, claws, etc) established by typical enhancers control five sub-clusters located within the epidermal differentiation complex on chromosome 25; 2) Within a feather, micro-regional specificities are orchestrated by temporo-spatial chromatin looping of the feather β-keratin gene cluster on chromosome 27. Analyses suggest a 3-factor model for regional specification: competence factors (e.g., AP1) make chromatin accessible, regional specifiers (e.g., Zic1) target specific genome regions, and chromatin organizers (e.g., CTCF, SATB2) establish looping configurations. Gene perturbations disrupt morphogenesis and histo-differentiation. This chicken skin paradigm advances our understanding of how regulation of big gene clusters can set up a two-dimensional body surface map.
Project description:We studied the microbial community-based degradation of keratin, a recalcitrant biological material, by four well-characterized synergistic soil isolates, which have previously been shown to display synergistic interactions during biofilm formation; Stenotrophomonas rhizophila, Xanthomonas retroflexus, Microbacterium oxydans and Paenibacillus amylolyticus. We observed enhanced keratin weight loss in cultures with X. retroflexus, both in dual and four-species co-cultures, as compared to expected keratin degradation by X. retroflexus alone. To unravel the degradation shotgun-proteomics was performed on the secretome of all culture types including X. retroflexus.