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Updated: Apr 30, 2026

Characterization of In Vitro Differentiation of Human Primary Keratinocytes by RNA-Seq Analysis
Published on: May 16, 2020
Regulation of keratinocyte differentiation by O-GlcNAcylation
Kyung-Cheol Sohn1, Eun Jin Lee1, Jung-Min Shin1
1Department of Dermatology and Research Institute for Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
Background:
O-linked β-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) modification is one of the posttranslational modification, emerging as an important regulatory mechanism in various cellular events.
Objective:
We attempted to investigate whether O-GlcNAcylation is involved in keratinocyte differentiation.
Methods:
Immunohistochemistry and Western blot were performed to demonstrate O-GlcNAcylation in keratinocyte differentiation.
Results:
During calcium-induced keratinocyte differentiation, overall O-GlcNAcylation was decreased in a temporal manner. We focused our attention on transcription factor Sp-1, which is implicated in keratinocyte differentiation. Total Sp-1 level did not change during keratinocyte differentiation. However, O-GlcNAcylated Sp-1 was decreased in a keratinocyte differentiation-dependent manner. Interestingly, transcriptional activity of Sp-1, in terms of involucrin and loricrin promoter activities, was markedly increased by overexpression of O-GlcNAcase (OGA). In addition, membrane permeable non-O-GlcNAcylated Sp-1 did show transcriptional activity, while membrane permeable O-GlcNAcylated Sp-1 did not, suggesting O-GlcNAcylated Sp-1 is an inactive form in keratinocyte differentiation.
Conclusion:
Our results reveal that O-GlcNAcylation is a dynamic regulatory mechanism for keratinocyte differentiation.
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