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Detection of cryptdin in mouse skin
Y Shirafuji1, T Oono, H Kanzaki
1Department of Dermatology, Okayama University Medical School, Shikata-cho 2-5-1, Okayama 700-8558, Japan.
Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology
|May 4, 1999
Summary
Mouse skin expresses antimicrobial defensin cryptdin, particularly in keratinocytes and hair follicles during development and adulthood. This finding highlights defensins
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Dermatology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Defensins are broad-spectrum antimicrobial peptides found in various immune cells and tissues.
- Previous studies identified defensins in neutrophils, macrophages, Paneth cells, and human skin.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the expression and localization of defensin cryptdin mRNA in BALB/c mouse skin.
- To determine the developmental and cellular expression patterns of cryptdin in mouse skin.
Main Methods:
- Reverse transcriptase PCR amplification to detect cryptdin mRNA.
- Dispase separation of epidermis and cell culture of keratinocytes.
- In situ hybridization to localize mRNA expression within the skin.
Main Results:
- Cryptdin mRNA expression was detected in mouse skin, epidermis, and cultured keratinocytes, but not in fibroblasts.
- Expression begins by embryonic day 17.5.
- Specific isoforms (cryptdin-5, -6, and -1) were identified.
- In situ hybridization revealed expression in suprabasal keratinocytes during embryonic/neonatal stages, shifting to hair bulbs in adults.
Conclusions:
- Mouse skin is a site of cryptdin defensin expression.
- Cryptdin expression in skin is developmentally regulated, with distinct cellular localization in embryonic, neonatal, and adult stages.
- These findings suggest a role for defensins in skin immunity and barrier function.