Epidermal Polarity Genes in Health and Disease

December 2014 in “ Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine ”

Frederik Tellkamp, Susanne Vorhagen, Carien M. Niessen

epidermal polarity epidermal morphogenesis homeostasis hair follicle cilia transmembrane adhesion proteins cytoskeletal scaffold proteins kinases

Studysummary This article reviews the role of polarity proteins in epidermal morphogenesis and homeostasis and discusses how their alteration may contribute to skin disease, but reports no new experimental findings. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.

The document discussed the role of epidermal polarity genes in skin health and disease, highlighting the importance of polarity in epidermal morphogenesis and homeostasis. It explained that the epidermis is a polarized tissue with innate immune functions, where polarity is evident in cell shape changes, cell division orientation, and hair follicle and cilia orientation. The establishment and maintenance of this polarity are organized by various proteins, including transmembrane adhesion proteins, cytoskeletal scaffold proteins, and kinases. While these proteins were well-studied in simpler organisms, their role in mammalian tissue was still being understood. The article also explored how disruptions in these polarizing processes could contribute to skin diseases.

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