The Skin Barrier: A System Driven by Phase Separation

The mammalian epidermis forms a critical barrier against environmental insults and water loss. The formation of its outermost layer, the stratum corneum, involves a rapid terminal differentiation process that has traditionally been explained by the "bricks and mortar" model. Recent advances reveal a more dynamic mechanism governed by intracellular liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS). This review proposes that the lifecycle of the granular layer is orchestrated by LLPS. Evidence is synthesized showing that keratohyalin granules (KGs) are biomolecular condensates formed by the phase separation of the intrinsically disordered protein filaggrin (FLG). The assembly, maturation, and pH-triggered dissolution of these condensates are essential for cytoplasmic remodeling and the programmed flattening of keratinocytes, a process known as corneoptosis. In parallel, an LLPS-based signaling pathway is described in which the kinase RIPK4 forms condensates that activate the Hippo pathway, promoting transcriptional reprogramming and differentiation. Together, these structural and signaling condensates drive skin barrier formation. This review further reinterprets atopic dermatitis, ichthyosis vulgaris, and Bartsocas-Papas syndrome as diseases of aberrant phase behavior, in which pathogenic mutations alter condensate formation or material properties. This integrative framework offers new insight into skin biology and suggests novel opportunities for therapeutic intervention through biophysics-informed biomaterial and regenerative design.