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Abnormal skin development in pupoid foetus (pf/pf) mutant mice
Insights
The pupoid foetus (pf/pf) mutation in mice causes dermal cells, including nerves and blood vessels, to invade the epidermis, disrupting its structure. A basal lamina consistently separates these invading cells from the epidermis.
Area of Science:
- Developmental biology
- Cell biology
- Dermatology
Background:
- The pupoid foetus (pf/pf) mutation affects mouse development.
- Epidermal structure and integrity are crucial for skin function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the cellular and structural changes in the epidermis of mice with the pupoid foetus (pf/pf) mutation.
- To characterize the nature of the invading cells and their interaction with the epidermis.
Main Methods:
- Histological analysis of mouse embryos at different developmental stages (13, 16, and 19 days).
- Immunofluorescence staining for fibronectin and laminin.
- Ultrastructural examination.
Main Results:
- Mutant epidermis shows variable thickness and invasion by dermal cells starting at 16 days.
- Invading cells include nerve fibers, Schwann cells, blood vessels, and fibronectin-secreting cells.
- A basal lamina, identified by laminin, consistently separates the epidermis from the invading cell population.
Conclusions:
- The pupoid foetus (pf/pf) mutation leads to significant disruption of epidermal development due to dermal cell invasion.
- The persistent basal lamina suggests a specific barrier mechanism despite the abnormal cellular infiltration.
Abstract:
At 13 days of development the epidermis of mice homozygous for the pupoid foetus (pf/pf) mutation varies in thickness between one and ten cell layers. By 16 days of development cells from the dermis have invaded the epidermis and may be found throughout the epidermis and on its surface. Among these cells are nerve fibres and Schwann cells as well as other unidentified cells. Antibodies directed against fibronectin bind to these abnormal groups of cells in the mutant epidermis and on its surface. A basal lamina, as determined by ultrastructure and by the immunofluorescent localization of laminin, was always found at the interface of the mutant epidermis and the invading cell population. By 19 days of development the mutant epidermis is thickened and is permeated by a network of cells including nerve fibres, Schwann cells, blood vessels, and collagen and fibronectin-secreting cells. A basal lamina always separates these groups of invading cells from the epidermal cell population.
