Abnormal epidermal differentiation and impaired epithelial-mesenchymal tissue interactions in mice lacking the retinoblastoma relatives p107 and p130

Development. 2003 Jun;130(11):2341-53. doi: 10.1242/dev.00453.

Abstract

The functions of p107 and p130, members of the retinoblastoma family, include the control of cell cycle progression and differentiation in several tissues. Our previous studies suggested a role for p107 and p130 in keratinocyte differentiation in vitro. We now extend these data using knockout animal models. We found impaired terminal differentiation in the interfollicular keratinocytes of p107/p130-double-null mice epidermis. In addition, we observed a decreased number of hair follicles and a clear developmental delay in hair, whiskers and tooth germs. Skin grafts of p107/p130-deficient epidermis onto NOD/scid mice showed altered differentiation and hyperproliferation of the interfollicular keratinocytes, thus demonstrating that the absence of p107 and p130 results in the deficient control of differentiation in keratinocytes in a cell-autonomous manner. Besides normal hair formation, follicular cysts, misoriented and dysplastic follicles, together with aberrant hair cycling, were also observed in the p107/p130 skin transplants. Finally, the hair abnormalities in p107/p130-null skin were associated with altered Bmp4-dependent signaling including decreased DeltaNp63 expression. These results indicate an essential role for p107 and p130 in the epithelial-mesenchimal interactions.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Cell Division
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • Epidermis / abnormalities
  • Epidermis / metabolism
  • Epidermis / pathology
  • Epithelium / abnormalities
  • Epithelium / metabolism
  • Epithelium / pathology
  • Gene Expression
  • Genes, Tumor Suppressor
  • Hair Follicle / abnormalities
  • Hair Follicle / metabolism
  • Hair Follicle / pathology
  • Keratinocytes / metabolism
  • Keratinocytes / pathology
  • Mesoderm / metabolism
  • Mesoderm / pathology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred NOD
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Mice, SCID
  • Nuclear Proteins / deficiency
  • Nuclear Proteins / genetics
  • Nuclear Proteins / physiology*
  • Phosphoproteins / deficiency
  • Phosphoproteins / genetics
  • Phosphoproteins / physiology*
  • Proteins*
  • Retinoblastoma Protein / deficiency
  • Retinoblastoma Protein / genetics
  • Retinoblastoma Protein / physiology*
  • Retinoblastoma-Like Protein p107
  • Retinoblastoma-Like Protein p130
  • Signal Transduction
  • Skin Abnormalities / genetics
  • Skin Abnormalities / metabolism
  • Skin Abnormalities / pathology*
  • Skin Transplantation
  • Tooth Germ / abnormalities
  • Tooth Germ / metabolism
  • Tooth Germ / pathology
  • Trans-Activators*
  • Transcription Factors
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins

Substances

  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • Phosphoproteins
  • Proteins
  • Rbl1 protein, mouse
  • Rbl2 protein, mouse
  • Retinoblastoma Protein
  • Retinoblastoma-Like Protein p107
  • Retinoblastoma-Like Protein p130
  • TP63 protein, human
  • Trans-Activators
  • Transcription Factors
  • Trp63 protein, mouse
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins