The Histone Methyltransferase Ash1l is Required for Epidermal Homeostasis in Mice

Epidermal homeostasis under normal and healing conditions are critical for the physical and functional maintenance of the skin barrier. It requires a proper balance between keratinocyte proliferation and differentiation under genetic and epigenetic regulations. Here we show that mice carrying a hypomorphic mutation of the histone methyltransferase Ash1l [(absent, small, or homeotic)-like (Drosophila)] develop epidermal hyperplasia and impaired epidermal stratification upon aging. In adult mutants, loss of Ash1l leads to more proliferative keratinocytes in disturbed differentiation stages. After wounding, Ash1l mutation leads to delayed re-epithlialization but increased keratinocyte proliferation at the wound edge. Elevated c-Myc expression could be observed in both aged and wounded mutant tissues. Taken together, these observations revealed an important role of the epigenetic regulator Ash1l in epidermal homeostasis.