Epithelial migration: open your eyes to c-Jun

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 20, 2026

Microscopy Based Methods for the Assessment of Epithelial Cell Migration During In Vitro Wound Healing
08:34

Microscopy Based Methods for the Assessment of Epithelial Cell Migration During In Vitro Wound Healing

Published on: January 2, 2018

Richard Grose1

  • 1Viral Carcinogenesis Laboratory, Cancer Research UK London Research Institute, 61 Lincoln's Inn Fields, WC2A 3PX, London, UK. richard.grose@cancer.org.uk

Current Biology : CB
|September 6, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Removing c-Jun from mouse skin cells disrupts eyelid fusion and highlights its role in skin repair and cancer. Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) signaling is crucial for c-Jun

Area of Science:

  • Dermatology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • The transcription factor c-Jun is a component of Activator Protein-1 (AP-1) signaling.
  • AP-1 plays critical roles in cell proliferation, differentiation, and survival.
  • The specific functions of c-Jun in epidermal development and homeostasis are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the in vivo function of c-Jun in mouse epidermal development.
  • To elucidate the role of c-Jun in embryonic eyelid fusion.
  • To determine the involvement of c-Jun in adult skin wound repair and tumorigenesis.

Main Methods:

  • Conditional knockout of the c-jun gene in mouse epidermal cells.
  • Analysis of embryonic development, focusing on eyelid fusion.
  • Assessment of wound healing and chemically induced skin tumorigenesis in adult mice.

Main Results:

  • Conditional deletion of c-jun in epidermal cells resulted in a complete failure of eyelid fusion during embryogenesis.
  • Loss of c-Jun function impaired wound repair in adult mice.
  • c-Jun deficiency promoted skin tumorigenesis in response to carcinogens.
  • Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) signaling was identified as essential for all observed roles of c-Jun in the epidermis.

Conclusions:

  • c-Jun is essential for embryonic eyelid fusion in mice.
  • c-Jun plays critical roles in adult skin homeostasis, including wound repair and suppression of tumorigenesis.
  • EGF signaling is a key regulator of c-Jun's functions in the epidermis.

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