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Comparative immunohistochemical analysis suggests a conserved role of EPS8L1 in epidermal and hair follicle barriers of mammals

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Abstract

The mammalian skin and its appendages depend on tightly coordinated differentiation of epithelial cells. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathway substrate 8 (EPS8) like 1 (EPS8L1) is enriched in the epidermis among human tissues and has also been detected in the epidermis of lizards. Here, we show by the analysis of single-cell RNA-sequencing data that EPS8L1 mRNA is co-expressed with filaggrin and loricrin in terminally differentiated human epidermal keratinocytes. Comparative genomics indicated that EPS8L1 is conserved in all main clades of mammals, whereas the orthologous gene has been lost in birds. Using a polyclonal antibody against EPS8L1, we performed an immunohistochemical screening of skin from diverse mammalian species and immuno-electron microscopy of human skin. EPS8L1 was detected predominantly in the granular layer of the epidermis in monotremes, marsupial, and placental mammals. The labeling was partly associated with cell membranes, and it was evident along the perimeter of keratinocytes at the transition with the cornified layer of the epidermis, similar to involucrin distribution. Basal, spinous, and the fully mature cornified layers lacked immunolabeling of EPS8L1. In addition to the epidermis, the hair follicle inner root sheath (IRS) was immunolabeled. Both epidermal granular layer and IRS contribute to the barrier function of the skin, suggesting that EPS8L1 is involved in the regulation of these barriers.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Maria Buchberger, Bahar Golabi, Dragan Copic, and Erwin Tschachler (Medical University of Vienna) for helpful discussions. The study was partly self-supported (LA). This paper is dedicated to my (LA) beloved father-in law, Bruno, who was the closer oldest friend that I ever had.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Comparative Histolab Padova, Padua, Italy

    Lorenzo Alibardi

  2. Department of Biology, Via Selmi 3, University of Bologna, 40126, Bologna, Italy

    Lorenzo Alibardi

  3. Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

    Marta Surbek & Leopold Eckhart

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  1. Lorenzo Alibardi
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Correspondence to Lorenzo Alibardi.

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Alibardi, L., Surbek, M. & Eckhart, L. Comparative immunohistochemical analysis suggests a conserved role of EPS8L1 in epidermal and hair follicle barriers of mammals. Protoplasma 261, 333–349 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00709-023-01898-8

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