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Expression of cadherin cell adhesion molecules during human skin development: morphogenesis of epidermis, hair follicles and eccrine sweat ducts

Archives of Dermatological Research volume 284, pages 159–166 (1992)Cite this article

Summary

Expression of E (epithelia) and P (placental) cadherin cell adhesion molecules was examined immunohistochemically using human developing skin. In adult skin, E-cadherin was expressed on cell surfaces of whole epidermal layers including skin appendages, whereas P-cadherin was expressed only on those of basal layers and the outer layers of skin appendages, which was consistent with the compartment of proliferating cells. In fetal skin, while the patterns of E- and P-cadherin expression were generally similar to those in the adult, P-cadherin temporarily showed a unique spatiotemporal expression pattern in developing sweat ducts. During this stage, the expression of P-cadherin accumulated in the epidermal ridges and showed a discrepancy with the compartment of proliferating cells. These results suggest that the expression of P-cadherin is spatiotemporally controlled, and may be closely related to the segregation of basal layers as well as to the arrangement of epidermal cells into eccrine sweat ducts, but is not closely related to cell proliferation.

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Affiliations

  1. Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, Kyoto University, 606, Kyoto, Japan

    M. Fujita, F. Furukawa, K. Fujii, Y. Horiguchi & S. Imamura

  2. Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Science, Kyoto University, 606, Kyoto, Japan

    M. Takeichi

Authors
  1. M. Fujita
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  2. F. Furukawa
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  3. K. Fujii
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  4. Y. Horiguchi
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  5. M. Takeichi
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  6. S. Imamura
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Fujita, M., Furukawa, F., Fujii, K. et al. Expression of cadherin cell adhesion molecules during human skin development: morphogenesis of epidermis, hair follicles and eccrine sweat ducts. Arch Dermatol Res 284, 159–166 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00372710

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00372710

Key words

  • Cadherin cell adhesion molecules
  • Skin morphogenesis
  • Epidermis
  • Hair follicles
  • Ecerine sweat ducts