Corneodesmosomes and corneodesmosin: from the stratum corneum cohesion to the pathophysiology of genodermatoses.

Corneodesmosin (CDSN) was identified 20 years ago by raising monoclonal antibodies against human plantar stratum corneum. The protein is specific to corneodesmosomes, cell-junction structures that, in humans, are found in the epidermis, the hard palate epithelium, and the inner root sheath of the hair follicles. Synthesized by the granular keratinocytes and secreted via the lamellar bodies, CDSN is incorporated into the desmoglea of the desmosomes, shortly before their transformation into corneodesmosomes during cornification.

The ubiquitous dermokine delta activates Rab5 function in the early endocytic pathway.

The expression of the recently identified dermokine (Dmkn) gene leads to four families of proteins with as yet unknown functions. The secreted α, β and γ isoforms share an epidermis-restricted expression pattern, whereas the δ isoform is intracellular and ubiquitous. To get an insight into Dmknδ function, we performed yeast two-hybrid screening and identified the small GTPases Rab5 as partners for Dmknδ.

A large-scale multi-technique approach identifies forty-nine new players of keratinocyte terminal differentiation in human epidermis.

At the latest stage of terminal differentiation in the epidermis, granular keratinocytes (GKs) undergo cornification, a programmed cell death required for the establishment of a functional skin barrier. A complex genetic regulatory network orchestrates the underlying biochemical modifications, but very few transcription factors specific to this programme have been identified to date. Here, we describe a large-scale, multi-technique approach performed on cells purified from normal human epidermis, primarily focusing on the identification of regulators.

Corneodesmosin gene ablation induces lethal skin-barrier disruption and hair-follicle degeneration related to desmosome dysfunction.

Corneodesmosin (CDSN) is specific to desmosomes of epithelia undergoing cornification, mainly the epidermis and the inner root sheath of the hair follicles. CDSN nonsense mutations are associated with hypotrichosis simplex of the scalp, a rare disease that leads to complete baldness in young adults. CDSN displays adhesive properties, mostly attributable to its N-terminal glycine-rich domain, and is sequentially proteolyzed as corneocytes migrate towards the skin surface.