Project description:TREX2 is a keratinocyte specific 3â-deoxyribonuclease that participates in the maintenance of skin homeostasis upon damage. This transcriptome analysis identified multiple genes and pathways deregulated by TREX2 loss in the IMQ-induced psoriasis-like model in mouse skin. mRNA sequencing of 5 biological replicates of skin from wild-type mice treated with Imiquimod and 6 of Trex2 knockout mice treated with Imiquimod
Project description:Increased intestinal permeability can exacerbate psoriasis, a systemic inflammatory disease with complex pathogenesis. Using a mouse model of psoriasis elicited by the TLR7 ligand imiquimod, we found that psoriatic dermatitis was accompanied by small-intestinal inflammatory changes associated with eosinophil degranulation which led to impaired intestinal barrier integrity. Inflammatory responses in the skin and small intestine were accelerated in mice that are prone to eosinophil degranulation. Caco-2 human intestinal epithelial cells treated with media containing eosinophil granule proteins exhibited signs of inflammation and damage. Imiquimod-induced skin and intestinal inflammatory changes were attenuated in eosinophil-deficient mice, and this attenuation was counteracted by eosinophil transfer. Imiquimod levels and eosinophil distribution were positively correlated in the intestine. TLR7-deficient mice did not show intestinal eosinophil degranulation and exhibited attenuated skin and small-intestinal inflammation following imiquimod application. These results suggest a TLR7-dependent bidirectional skin-to-gut communication in psoriatic inflammation, and that intestinal inflammatory changes can accelerate psoriasis.
Project description:Tristetraprolin (TTP, encoded by Zfp36) regulates the mRNA stability of several important cytokines. Due to the critical role of this RNA-binding protein in the control of inflammation, TTP deficiency leads to the spontaneous development of a complex inflammatory syndrome. So far, this phenotype has been largely attributed to dysregulated production of TNF and IL-23 by myeloid cells such as macrophages or dendritic cells. Here, we generated mice with conditional deletion of TTP in keratinocytes. These mice developed exacerbated inflammation in the imiquimod-induced psoriasis model. Furthermore, these mice progressively developed a spontaneous pathology with systemic inflammation, psoriatic-like skin lesions and dactylitis. Finally, we provide evidence that keratinocyte-derived TNF productin drives the different pathological features. In summary, these findings expand current views on the initiation of psoriasis and related arthritis by revealing the keratinocyte-intrinsic role of TTP.
Project description:The epidermis, outermost layer of the skin, forms a barrier and is involved in innate and adaptive immunity in an organism. Keratinocytes participate in all these three protective processes. However, a regulator of keratinocyte protective responses against external dangers and stresses remains elusive. We found that upregulation of the orphan gene 2610528A11Rik was a common factor in the skin of mice with several types of inflammation. In the human epidermis, peptide expression of G protein-coupled receptor 15 ligand (GPR15L), encoded by the human ortholog C10orf99, was highly induced in the lesional skin of patients with atopic dermatitis or psoriasis. C10orf99 gene transfection into normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEKs) induced the expression of inflammatory mediators and reduced the expression of barrier-related genes. Gene ontology analyses showed its association with translation, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), mitochondria, and lipid metabolism. Treatment with GPR15L reduced the expression levels of filaggrin and loricrin in human keratinocyte 3D cultures. Instead, their expression levels in mouse primary cultured keratinocytes did not show significant differences between the wild-type and 2610528A11Rik deficient keratinocytes. Lipopolysaccharide-induced expression of Il1b and Il6 was less in 2610528A11Rik deficient mouse keratinocytes than in wild-type, and imiquimod-induced psoriatic dermatitis was blunted in 2610528A11Rik deficient mice. Furthermore, repetitive subcutaneous injection of GPR15L in mouse ears induced skin inflammation in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that C10orf99/GPR15L is a primary inducible regulator that reduces the barrier formation and induces the inflammatory response of keratinocytes.
Project description:The imiquimod model is used to induce the skin production of IL-22 and to characterize the cells that produce IL-22 in the skin after inflammatory stimulus. This experiment is performed on skin of C57Bl/6 mice treated with imiquimod to induce psoriasis-like lesions. After 5 days of imiquimod treatment, we analysed the heamatopoietic cells that infiltrate the skin and we compared the gene signature of three T cell populations: CD4+ T cells, CD4-CD8-(DN) T cells and gd T cells
Project description:CaMK4 has an important function in autoimmune diseases, and the contribution of CaMK4 in psoriasis remains obscure. Here, we show that CaMK4 expression is significantly increased in psoriatic lesional skin from psoriasis patients compared to healthy human skin as well as inflamed skin from an imiquimod (IMQ)-induced mouse model of psoriasis compared to healthy mouse skin. Camk4-deficient (Camk4−/−) mice treated with IMQ exhibit reduced severity of psoriasis compared to wild-type (WT) mice. There are more macrophages and fewer IL-17A+γδ TCR+ cells in the skin of IMQ-treated Camk4−/− mice compared to IMQ-treated WT mice. CaMK4 inhibits IL-10 production by macrophages, thus allowing excessive psoriatic inflammation. Deletion of Camk4 in macrophages alleviates IMQ-induced psoriatic inflammation in mice. In keratinocytes, CaMK4 inhibits apoptosis as well as promotes cell proliferation and the expression of pro-inflammatory genes such as S100A8 and CAMP. Taken together, these data indicate that CaMK4 regulates IMQ-induced psoriasis by sustaining inflammation and provides a potential target for psoriasis treatment.
Project description:The goal of the study is to examine changes in tumor gene expression after imiquimod treatment. RNA was extracted from spontaneous tumors in control mice (n=4) and in imiquimod-treated mice (n=4). Gene expression was compared between the control group and the treated group. In the imiquimod treatment group, the mice received topical treatment of 5% imiquimod cream (Aldara) on shaved skin at the site of spontaneous tumors for one treatment cycle (3 consecutive days). RNA was extracted from 4 spontaneous tumors from neu-tg mice treated with topical imiquimod for 1 cycle and 4 spontaneous tumors from control mice
Project description:Environmental stimuli are known to contribute to psoriasis pathogenesis and that of other autoimmune diseases, but the mechanism is unknown. Here we show that the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), a transcription factor that senses environmental stimuli, modulates pathology in psoriasis. AhR-activating ligands reduced inflammation in the lesional skin of psoriasis patients, whereas AhR antagonists upregulated inflammation. Similarly, AhR signaling via the endogenous FICZ ligand reduced the inflammatory response in the imiquimod-induced model of psoriasis and AhR deficient mice exhibited a substantial exacerbation of the disease, compared to AhR sufficient controls. Non-haematopoietic cells, in particular keratinocytes, were responsible for this hyper-inflammatory response, which involved increased reactivity to IL-1beta and upregulation of AP-1 family members of transcription factors. Thus, our data suggest a critical role for AhR in the regulation of inflammatory responses and open the possibility for novel therapeutic strategies in chronic inflammatory disorders. Total RNA obtained from skin explants taken from AhR heterozygous or knock-out mice treated pericutaneously with imiquimod for 0 and 2d.