Project description:Analysis of gene expression profiling of human epidermis and sebaceous glands. Skin samples were obtained from 5 healthy individuals undergoing plastic surgery
Project description:Due to limited model systems for sebaceous glands we investigated potential suitability of preputial glands as model for sebaceous glands. We performed single-cell sequencing of murine preputial glands and back skin biopsies. This study revealed striking differences in lipid metabolizing enzyme expression and differentiation pathways found in sebocytes of the different tissues.
Project description:We describe the use of laser capture microdissection (LCM) to isolate human and murine sebaceous glands (SGs) for transcriptomic analysis and publish this SG transcriptomic data for reference. We show that compared to whole skin RNA sequencing, LCM RNA sequencing allows for high resolution in identifying and describing SG genes at homeostasis. Lastly, we compare this LCM of sebaceous glands to published SG clusters from single cell RNA sequencing of skin, and show that we achieve greater resolution and depth with the LCM approach.
Project description:There are multiple stem cells in adult mammalian epidermis, but the mechanisms controlling lineage specification are poorly understood. To identify gene expression signatures of the three major epidermal differentiation compartments we micro-dissected individual SG, IFE and HF from adult epidermis. The RNA was isolated from age and sex matched wild-type mice and performed transcriptome analysis with Affymetrix Exon microarrays We micro-dissected individual interfollicular epidermis (IFE), hair follicle (HF) and sebaceous gland (SG) from adult tail epidermis. The RNA was isolated from age and sex matched wild-type mice. Three biological replicates for each epidermal differentiation compartment were analyzed.
Project description:<p>The role of sebaceous glands (SGs) in the early pathogenesis of hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is undefined, with unclear causal relationship to inflammatory sequelae. The aim of this study was to determine whether SG aberrations constitute a primary pathogenic driver in early HS and elucidate the underlying mechanism. Histological study, single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), and in vitro functional assays were employed. Clinical specimens included non-lesional skin, early lesional skin from patients diagnosed with Hurley I HS, and healthy controls. Human SZ95 sebocytes were used for mechanistic studies, including gene knockdown with lentivirus, bulk RNA sequencing, and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry based lipidomic analysis. </p><p>The size of SG was significantly reduced in HS patients. Development aberration and significant downregulation of tight junction signaling (e.g., TJP1, OCLN, CLDN1) in HS SGs were revealed by scRNA-seq, associated with compromised barrier integrity and early CD45+ immune cell infiltration. Knockdown of CLDN1 in human SZ95 sebocytes recapitulated these findings, inducing a robust pro-inflammatory response and a shift toward keratinocyte-like lineage accompanied by metabolic reprogramming, specifically overproduction of lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC). Exogenous LPC directly promoted proliferation and inflammatory cytokine secretion in HaCaT keratinocytes. Collectively, these findings reposition SGs as instigators in the early pathogenesis of HS.</p>
Project description:In a transcriptome study of psoriatic (PP) vs. normal (NN) skin, we found a co-expressed gene module (N5) enriched 11.5-fold for lipid biosynthetic genes. We also observed fewer visible hairs in PP skin, compared to uninvolved (PN) or NN skin (p<0.0001). To ask whether these findings might be due to abnormalities of the pilosebaceous unit, we carried out 3D morphometric analysis of paired PP and PN biopsies. Sebaceous glands (SG) were markedly atrophic in PP vs. PN skin (91% average reduction in volume, p=0.031). Module N5 genes were strongly downregulated in PP vs. NN skin (fold-change [FC] < 0.25, 44.4-fold), and strongly up-regulated in sebaceous hyperplasia (SH, FC > 4, 54.1-fold). The intersection of PP-downregulated and SH-upregulated gene lists generated a gene expression signature consisting solely of module N5 genes, whose expression in PP vs. NN skin was inversely correlated with the signature of IL17-stimuated keratinocytes. Despite loss of visible hairs, morphometry identified elongated follicles in PP vs. PN skin (average 1.7 vs. 1.2 Jm, p=0.020). These results document SG atrophy in non-scalp psoriasis, identify a cytokine-regulated set of SG signature genes, and suggest that loss of visible hair in PP skin may result from abnormal SG function. Gene expression was compared between sebaceous hyperplasia lesions (n = 5) and normal skin (n = 3) from control subjects.
Project description:The mouse aldehyde oxidase, Aox4 (aldehyde oxidase 4), is a molybdo-flavoenzyme. Harderian glands are the richest source of Aox4, although the protein is detectable also in sebaceous glands, epidermis and other keratinized epithelia. We performed whole genome gene expression experiment on Harderian Gland, White Adipose Tissue and Liver of WT and Aox4-/- animals.
Project description:ATP-citrate lyase (ACLY) generates cytosolic acetyl-CoA for lipid synthesis and is a promising therapeutic target in disease contexts with altered lipid metabolism. Here, we developed inducible whole-body Acly knockout mice to determine the requirement for ACLY in normal tissue functions, uncovering its crucial role in skin homeostasis and barrier function. ACLY-deficient skin upregulates the acetyl-CoA synthetase ACSS2; and skin-specific double knockout (DKO) of Acly and Acss2 exacerbates skin abnormalities, with differential effects on two major lipid-producing skin compartments. While the epidermis is depleted of key barrier lipids, the sebaceous glands unexpectedly increase their lipid-rich sebum secretion, supplied in part by fatty acids released from adipose tissues. Accordingly, DKO mice rapidly lose fat mass, and dietary lipid supplementation partially rescues both the lipoatrophy and aberrant skin phenotypes. Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), a cytokine with a role in regulating sebaceous glands, is overexpressed in DKO epidermis and thus may stimulate sebum secretion in response to deficient epidermal acetyl-CoA synthesis. Together, the data demonstrate that cytosolic acetyl-CoA synthesis in the skin both maintains local tissue homeostasis and influences systemic lipid partitioning and storage.