Pores in the epidermis: aquaporins and tight junctions

Water homeostasis of the epidermis is important for the appearance and physical properties of the skin, as well as for water balance in the body. It depends on several factors, e.g. barrier quality, uptake of water into the epidermis, concentration of water-retaining humectants, and external humidity. Aquaporins (AQPs) are pores in the plasmamembranes of cells. Monomeric AQPs form barrel-like structures that are primarily water selective, some AQPs also transport glycerol and possibly other small solutes. In the epidermis, AQP3 is the predominant AQP. It is localized mainly in basal but also in suprabasal layers of the epidermis and is permeable for water as well as for glycerol, a humectant. Mice deficient in AQP3 exhibit reduced stratum corneum (SC) hydration and impaired SC barrier recovery after SC removal. In skin diseases associated with elevated transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and reduced SC hydration, altered expression of AQP3 was shown. Tight junctions (TJ) are cell-cell junctions, which play a central role in sealing the intercellular space of cell sheets and thereby establishing a paracellular barrier. Within the TJ, pores are postulated to exist, which allow the controlled diffusion of water and solutes via the paracellular pathway. In the epidermis, TJ structures were demonstrated in the stratum granulosum whereas TJ proteins were found in all viable layers. Mice which overexpress or are deficient of key-proteins of TJ die soon after birth because of a tremendous TEWL. In various skin diseases that are accompanied by elevated TEWL and reduced skin hydration, staining patterns of TJ proteins are altered. This review will summarize our current knowledge of the involvement of AQPs and TJ in the water homeostasis of the epidermis.