Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 14, 2026
10:51
Isolation and Culture of Primary Mouse Keratinocytes from Neonatal and Adult Mouse Skin
Published on: July 14, 2017
Interleukin-1alpha regulates antimicrobial peptide expression in human keratinocytes
Mika Bando1, Yuka Hiroshima, Masatoshi Kataoka
1Department of Periodontology and Endodontology, Oral and Maxillofacial Dentistry, Division of Medico-Dental Dynamics and Reconstruction, Institute of Health Biosciences, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Tokushima, Japan.
Immunology and Cell Biology
|June 6, 2007
Summary
Interleukin-1alpha (IL-1alpha) selectively upregulates antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) in human keratinocytes. This cytokine modulation of AMPs may influence innate epithelial cell immunity in skin and mucosal tissues.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Dermatology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Human epidermis and epithelium act as crucial barriers against pathogens.
- Epithelial cells, including keratinocytes, produce antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) as part of their defense mechanism.
- AMP expression is typically regulated by bacteria and pro-inflammatory cytokines, with bacteria also inducing interleukin-1alpha (IL-1alpha).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the hypothesis that cell-autonomous cytokines, specifically IL-1alpha, regulate AMP expression in human keratinocytes.
- To determine the effect of IL-1alpha on the expression of various AMPs in HaCaT cells.
Main Methods:
- Microarray analysis
- Northern blot
- Reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR
- Western blot analysis
Main Results:
- IL-1alpha significantly increased mRNA expression of lipocalin 2, S100A8, S100A9, and secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI) in a dose- and time-dependent manner.
- Slight upregulation of S100A7 and beta-defensin-2 mRNA was observed.
- Protein expression of lipocalin 2, S100A7, S100A8, S100A9, and SLPI was upregulated by IL-1alpha.
- Certain AMPs, including cystatin 3, adrenomedullin, RNase-7, and mucin 5, were unaffected by IL-1alpha treatment.
Conclusions:
- The autonomous keratinocyte cytokine, IL-1alpha, selectively upregulates the expression of specific AMPs.
- This selective upregulation suggests a role for IL-1alpha in modulating innate epithelial cell immunity in the skin and mucosa.
Related Concept Videos
01:23Antimicrobial Proteins
Antimicrobial proteins are important components of the immune system. They aid the body in combating pathogens by either killing them directly or hindering their replication processes. Four main types of antimicrobial substances are interferons, the complement system, iron-binding proteins, and antimicrobial proteins.
Interferons
Interferons (IFNs) are proteins produced by lymphocytes, macrophages, and fibroblasts infected with viruses. While IFNs cannot prevent viruses from entering and...
Interferons
Interferons (IFNs) are proteins produced by lymphocytes, macrophages, and fibroblasts infected with viruses. While IFNs cannot prevent viruses from entering and...
01:24T Cell Types and Functions
When T cells with CD4 markers are activated, they give rise to two types of effector cells: helper T cells and regulatory T cells. Meanwhile, T cells with CD8 markers differentiate into effector cytotoxic T cells. The differentiation of CD4 T cells into helper T cell subsets, such as Th1, Th2, and Th17 cells, is dependent on the antigen type, antigen-presenting cell, and regulatory cytokines.
Th1 cells stimulate dendritic cells to express necessary co-stimulatory molecules on their surfaces for...
Th1 cells stimulate dendritic cells to express necessary co-stimulatory molecules on their surfaces for...
01:28Gene Regulation in Microbial Communities: Quorum Sensing
Quorum sensing is a mechanism of bacterial communication that enables coordinated gene expression in response to changes in population density. This facilitates collective behaviors that enhance survival, resource acquisition, and ecological adaptation. This process relies on small signaling molecules called autoinducers that accumulate as bacterial populations grow. When a critical threshold concentration of autoinducers is reached, bacterial cells collectively modify gene expression,...
02:26NF-κB-dependent Signaling Pathway
The transcription factor NF-κB was discovered in 1986 in the lab of Nobel laureate Professor David Baltimore, for its interaction with the immunoglobulin light chain enhancer in B-cells. After more than three decades of study, it is now evident that NF-κB regulates the expression of over 100 genes. Most of these genes play an essential role in the innate and adaptive immune responses as well as the inflammatory responses of animals.
NF-κB-dependent Signaling Mechanism
The heterodimer of NF-κB...
NF-κB-dependent Signaling Mechanism
The heterodimer of NF-κB...
01:28Cells of the Innate Immune Response
The innate immune response is an immediate and non-specific response against pathogens, acting swiftly to prevent the spread of infections. The primary cells involved in this response are phagocytes and natural killer (NK) cells.
Phagocytes
Phagocytes police the peripheral tissues by removing cellular debris and responding to the invasion of foreign substances or pathogens. Many phagocytes attack and remove microorganisms even before lymphocytes detect them. The human body has two general...
Phagocytes
Phagocytes police the peripheral tissues by removing cellular debris and responding to the invasion of foreign substances or pathogens. Many phagocytes attack and remove microorganisms even before lymphocytes detect them. The human body has two general...
01:27The Skin Microbiota
The human skin serves as a complex ecosystem inhabited by a diverse community of microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses. This microbiome plays a critical role in maintaining skin health and defending against pathogenic invaders. The composition of microbial communities varies significantly across different regions of the body, influenced primarily by the local levels of moisture and sebum.Regional Variation in Skin MicrobiotaCutibacterium acnes predominantly colonizes sebaceous...