Previous studies have shown that mouse dermis is composed of functionally distinct fibroblast lineages. To explore the extent of fibroblast heterogeneity in human skin, we used a combination of comparative spatial transcriptional profiling of human and mouse dermis and single-cell transcriptional profiling of human dermal fibroblasts. We show that there are at least four distinct fibroblast populations in adult human skin, not all of which are spatially segregated. We define markers permitting their isolation and show that although marker expression is lost in culture, different fibroblast subpopulations retain distinct functionality in terms of Wnt signaling, responsiveness to IFN-γ, and ability to support human epidermal reconstitution when introduced into decellularized dermis. These findings suggest that ex vivo expansion or in vivo ablation of specific fibroblast subpopulations may have therapeutic applications in wound healing and diseases characterized by excessive fibrosis.

In Alzheimer disease (AD), the perturbation of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) calcium (Ca2+) homeostasis has been linked to presenilins (PS), the catalytic core in γ-secretase complexes cleaving the amyloid precursor protein (APP) thereby generating amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides. Here we investigate whether APP contributes to ER Ca2+ homeostasis and whether ER Ca2+ could in turn influence Aβ production. We show that overexpression of wild-type human APP (APP695), or APP harboring the Swedish double mutation (APPswe) triggers increased Ryanodine receptors (RyR) expression and enhances RyR-mediated ER Ca2+ release in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells and in APPswe-expressing (Tg2576) mice. Interestingly, dantrolene-induced lowering of RyR-mediated Ca2+ release leads to the reduction of both intracellular and extracellular Aβ load in neuroblastoma cells as well as in primary cultured neurons derived from Tg2576 mice. This Aβ reduction can be accounted for by decreased Thr-668-dependent APP phosphorylation and β- and γ-secretases activities. Importantly, dantrolene diminishes Aβ load, reduces Aβ-related histological lesions and slows down learning and memory deficits in Tg2576 mice. Overall, our data document a key role of RyR in Aβ production and learning and memory performances, and delineate RyR-mediated control of Ca2+ homeostasis as a physiological paradigm that could be targeted for innovative therapeutic approaches.

SUMMARY Among the new players at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-mitochondria interface regulating interorganelle calcium signaling, those specifically involved during ER stress are not known at present. We report here that the truncated variant of the sarcoendoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase 1 (S1T) amplifies ER stress through the PERK-eIF2α-ATF4-CHOP pathway. S1T, which is localized in the ER-mitochondria microdomains, determines ER Ca2+ depletion due to increased Ca2+ leak, an increased number of ER-mitochondria contact sites, and inhibition of mitochondria movements. This leads to increased Ca2+ transfer to mitochondria in both resting and stimulated conditions and activation of the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. Interestingly, S1T knockdown was shown to prevent ER stress, mitochondrial Ca2+ overload, and subsequent apoptosis. Thus, by bridging ER stress to apoptosis through increased ER-mitochondria Ca2+ transfer, S1T acts as an essential determinant of cellular fate.