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Constitutively active Akt induces ectodermal defects and impaired bone morphogenetic protein signaling

Carmen Segrelles1, Marta Moral, Corina Lorz

  • 1Molecular Oncology Unit, Division of Biomedicine, Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas, E-28040 Madrid, Spain.

Molecular Biology of the Cell
|October 26, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Deregulated Akt signaling disrupts epithelial development and homeostasis. Constitutively active Akt1 in mice impairs ectodermal organ formation and alters stem cell function, highlighting Akt

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Dermatology

Background:

  • Aberrant Akt pathway activation is linked to human pathologies like cancer.
  • Limited understanding exists regarding Akt signaling's role in biological development.
  • Akt signaling may be crucial for epidermal homeostasis via cell-autonomous and non-cell-autonomous mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the developmental effects of deregulated Akt activity in stratified epithelia.
  • To explore the molecular mechanisms underlying these developmental alterations.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized transgenic mice expressing constitutively active Akt1 (myrAkt) and wild-type Akt1 (Akt(wt)).
  • Conducted gene profiling to identify molecular pathways affected by constitutive Akt activity.
  • Observed dose-dependent effects on ectodermally derived organs and adult epidermal stem cells.

Main Results:

  • myrAkt mice exhibited dose-dependent alterations in hair, teeth, nails, and epidermal glands development.
  • Constitutive Akt activity was found to disrupt the bone morphogenetic protein signaling pathway.
  • Significant alterations were observed in adult epidermal stem cells of myrAkt mice.

Conclusions:

  • Proper regulation of Akt expression and activity is essential for epithelial tissue development.
  • Deregulated Akt signaling profoundly impacts epidermal homeostasis and organogenesis.
  • Akt pathway dysregulation affects key developmental signaling, including BMP.

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