Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Pigmentation01:19

Pigmentation

4.9K
The color of the skin is influenced by a number of pigments, including melanin, carotene, and hemoglobin. Recall that melanin is produced by cells called melanocytes, which are found scattered throughout the stratum basale of the epidermis. The melanin is transferred to the keratinocytes via melanosomes.
Melanin occurs in two primary forms: eumelanin that provides black and brown pigment and pheomelanin that provides red color. Dark-skinned individuals produce more melanin than those with pale...
4.9K
Changes in Skin Color: Clinical Perspectives01:14

Changes in Skin Color: Clinical Perspectives

4.1K
The first thing a clinician sees is the skin, so the examination of the skin should be part of any thorough physical examination. Most skin disorders are relatively benign, but a few, including melanomas, can be fatal if untreated. A couple of the more noticeable disorders, albinism and vitiligo, affect the appearance of the skin and its accessory organs.
Albinism
Albinism is a genetic disorder that affects (completely or partially) the coloring of skin, hair, and eyes. The defect is primarily...
4.1K
Skin Diseases and Disorders01:23

Skin Diseases and Disorders

6.1K
Skin is the first line of defense and encounters a variety of microbes. Some pathogenic strains are often the cause of a broad range of infections of the skin and other body systems. These conditions can affect people of all ages and may have different causes, including genetic factors, infections, autoimmune reactions, environmental factors, and lifestyle choices.
Gram-positive Staphylococcus spp. and Streptococcus spp. are responsible for many of the most common skin infections. However, many...
6.1K
Renewal of Skin Epidermal Stem Cells01:12

Renewal of Skin Epidermal Stem Cells

3.2K
The skin is divided into epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis, the skin's outermost, middle, and inner layers. The human epidermal layer regularly undergoes renewal, where old, dead cells are replaced by new cells. Epidermal stem cells or EpiSCs divide and differentiate to restore the lost cells. For the renewal process, some EpiSCs continuously self-renew. In contrast, few others differentiate into transit-amplifying cells, which later form prickle or spinous cells, followed by granular...
3.2K
Pleiotropy01:33

Pleiotropy

44.0K
Pleiotropy is the phenomenon in which a single gene impacts multiple, seemingly unrelated phenotypic traits. For example, defects in the SOX10 gene cause Waardenburg Syndrome Type 4, or WS4, which can cause defects in pigmentation, hearing impairments, and an absence of intestinal contractions necessary for elimination. This diversity of phenotypes results from the expression pattern of SOX10 in early embryonic and fetal development. SOX10 is found in neural crest cells that form melanocytes,...
44.0K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Differential Responsiveness of Human Skin Mast Cells to SCF and IL-33: Reduced Reactivity to SCF but Not to IL-33 in the Post-Mitotic Phase.

Cells·2026
Same author

Modulation of Mast Cell Activation via MRGPRX2 by Natural Oat Extract.

International journal of molecular sciences·2026
Same author

Longitudinal metabolomics study of phosphate-adenine-guanosine-glucose-saline-mannitol stored red blood cells.

Transfusion·2026
Same author

Prolonged IL-33 Exposure Switches the Secreted Mast Cell Cytokine Profile From Pro-Inflammatory to Pro-Tolerant.

Allergy·2025
Same author

A Novel Cell Culture System to Improve MRGPRX2 Research in Human Skin Mast Cells.

Clinical and translational allergy·2025
Same author

Icatibant Acts as a Balanced Ligand of MRGPRX2 in Human Skin Mast Cells.

Biomolecules·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 28, 2026

Analyzing the Functions of Mast Cells In Vivo Using 'Mast Cell Knock-in' Mice
09:07

Analyzing the Functions of Mast Cells In Vivo Using 'Mast Cell Knock-in' Mice

Published on: May 27, 2015

11.2K

Phenotypic variability in human skin mast cells.

Magda Babina1, Sven Guhl1, Metin Artuc1

  • 1Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.

Experimental Dermatology
|December 29, 2015
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Skin mast cells (MCs) show significant inter-individual variability in key features like gene expression and histamine release. These differences in mast cells may impact allergic reactions and skin disorders.

Keywords:
IgE receptorchymasedegranulationhistaminemast cellstryptase

More Related Videos

Isolation of Peritoneum-derived Mast Cells and Their Functional Characterization with Ca2+-imaging and Degranulation Assays
11:31

Isolation of Peritoneum-derived Mast Cells and Their Functional Characterization with Ca2+-imaging and Degranulation Assays

Published on: July 4, 2018

13.0K
Isolation of Infiltrating Leukocytes from Mouse Skin Using Enzymatic Digest and Gradient Separation
07:11

Isolation of Infiltrating Leukocytes from Mouse Skin Using Enzymatic Digest and Gradient Separation

Published on: January 25, 2016

22.4K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 28, 2026

Analyzing the Functions of Mast Cells In Vivo Using 'Mast Cell Knock-in' Mice
09:07

Analyzing the Functions of Mast Cells In Vivo Using 'Mast Cell Knock-in' Mice

Published on: May 27, 2015

11.2K
Isolation of Peritoneum-derived Mast Cells and Their Functional Characterization with Ca2+-imaging and Degranulation Assays
11:31

Isolation of Peritoneum-derived Mast Cells and Their Functional Characterization with Ca2+-imaging and Degranulation Assays

Published on: July 4, 2018

13.0K
Isolation of Infiltrating Leukocytes from Mouse Skin Using Enzymatic Digest and Gradient Separation
07:11

Isolation of Infiltrating Leukocytes from Mouse Skin Using Enzymatic Digest and Gradient Separation

Published on: January 25, 2016

22.4K

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Dermatology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Mast cells (MCs) are crucial immune cells in human skin.
  • Inter-individual variations in MC function and phenotype are suspected but not comprehensively studied.
  • Understanding MC variability is vital for skin health and disease.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantify inter-individual variability in skin mast cells.
  • To correlate various MC features, including gene expression, surface markers, enzyme activity, and histamine content/release.
  • To identify patterns of co-regulation among MC attributes.

Main Methods:

  • Quantification of mRNA transcripts (c-kit, FcεRIα, FcεRIβ, FcεRIγ, histidine decarboxylase, tryptase, chymase).
  • Measurement of surface protein expression (c-Kit, FcεRIα).
  • Assay of enzyme activity (tryptase, chymase) and histamine content.
  • Assessment of histamine release triggered by FcεRI and Ca(2+) ionophore.

Main Results:

  • Substantial inter-individual variability observed across all measured MC features (CV 33-386%).
  • Positive associations found between FcεRI surface expression and FcεRIα mRNA, histamine content and histidine decarboxylase mRNA, and chymase activity and chymase mRNA.
  • Histamine levels correlated positively with tryptase and chymase activity; FcεRI-triggered histamine release unexpectedly correlated with Ca(2+) ionophore-elicited release.

Conclusions:

  • This study provides the most comprehensive analysis of human skin mast cell variability to date.
  • Unexpected co-regulation patterns among MC signature attributes were uncovered.
  • Individual differences in mast cells likely contribute to varying clinical responses in allergic reactions and skin disorders.