Related Experiment Videos
Keratin 2e: a marker for murine nipple epidermis
Bryon Mahler1, Todd Gocken, Marija Brojan
1Medical Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA.
Cells, Tissues, Organs
|May 1, 2004
Summary
The murine nipple exhibits specialized epidermal characteristics, including altered skin layer structure and keratin expression, suggesting regional specialization. This is influenced by fibroblast interactions, not solely keratinocytes.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Dermatology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Mesenchymal signals guide skin specialization.
- Mammary mesenchyme and epidermis interaction forms the nipple.
- Nipple's epidermal specialization remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- Profile nipple and K14-PTHrP mouse ventral skin ultrastructure and keratin expression.
- Determine if the nipple represents regionally specialized epidermis.
- Investigate the role of fibroblast-keratinocyte interactions in skin differentiation.
Main Methods:
- Ultrastructural analysis of murine nipple and transgenic mouse skin.
- Keratin and filaggrin expression profiling.
- In vitro keratinocyte culture and marker analysis.
Main Results:
- Murine nipple and K14-PTHrP epidermis show thickened cornified layers and expanded suprabasal/granular layers.
- Increased filaggrin levels observed in K14-PTHrP mouse ventral epidermis.
- Keratin 2e expressed in nipple and K14-PTHrP epidermis; keratinocytes showed similar marker expression in vitro.
Conclusions:
- The murine nipple displays characteristics of regionally specialized epidermis, including altered stratification and keratin expression.
- Fibroblast interactions, not keratinocytes alone, drive the observed differentiation profile.
- The K14-PTHrP transgenic mouse models nipple formation and associated epidermal specialization.