Involucrin is a marker of keratinocyte terminal differentiation. Our previous studies show that involucrin mRNA levels are increased by the keratinocyte differentiating agent, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) (Welter, J. F., Crish, J. F., Agarwal, C., and Eckert, R. L. (1995) J. Biol. Chem. 270, 12614 -12622). We now study the signaling cascade responsible for this regulation. Protein kinase C and tyrosine kinase inhibitors inhibit both the TPA-dependent mRNA increase and the TPA-dependent increase in hINV promoter activity. The relevant response element is located within the promoter proximal regulatory region and includes an AP1 site, AP1-1. Co-transfection of the hINV promoter with dominant negative forms of Ras, MEKK1, MEK1, MEK7, MEK3, p38/RK, and c-Jun inhibit the TPA-dependent increase. Wild type MEKK1 enhances promoter activity and the activity can be inhibited by dominant negative MEKK1, MEK1, MEK7, MEK3, p38/RK, and c-Jun. In contrast, wild type Raf-1, ERK1, ERK2, MEK4, or JNK1 produced no change in activity and the dominant negative forms of these kinases failed to suppress TPA-dependent transcription. Treatment with an S6 kinase (S6K) inhibitor, or transfection with constitutively active S6K produced relatively minor changes in promoter activity, ruling out a regulatory role for S6K. These results suggest that activation of involucrin transcription involves a pathway that includes protein kinase C, Ras, MEKK1, MEK3, and p38/RK. Additional pathways that transfer MEKK1 activation via MEK1 and MEK7 also may function, but the downstream targets of these kinases need to be identified. AP1 transcription factors appear to be the ultimate target of this regulation.

The cyclooxygenase isoforms, COX-1 and COX-2, are involved in the biosynthesis of prostaglandin E2, a major prostaglandin involved in epidermal homeostasis and repair. Cancer originating in the epidermis can develop when keratinocyte proliferation and apoptosis become dysregulated, resulting in sustained epidermal hyperplasia. COX-2 inhibitors, which demonstrate significant in vivo selectivity relative to COX-1, suppress both ultraviolet-induced epidermal tumor development and progression, suggesting that prostaglandin regulation of keratinocyte biology is involved in the pathogenesis of epidermal neoplasia. In this study, we characterized the expression of COX-1 and COX-2, as well as keratinocyte proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis, following acute ultraviolet irradiation in the hairless SKH-1 mouse. Following acute ultraviolet exposure, COX-2 expression was predominantly induced in the basal keratinocyte layer coincident with an increase in keratinocyte proliferation and apoptosis. The role of COX-2 was further evaluated using a selective COX-2 inhibitor, SC-791, as well as the traditional nonsteroidal COX inhibitor, indomethacin. Following acute ultraviolet irradiation, inhibition of COX-2 with either inhibitor decreased epidermal keratinocyte proliferation. Likewise, keratinocyte apoptosis was increased with COX-2 inhibition, particularly in the proliferating basal keratinocyte layer. There was also a modest inhibition of keratinocyte differentiation. These data suggest that COX-2 expression is probably necessary for keratinocyte survival and proliferation occurring after acute ultraviolet irradiation. We hypothesize that selective COX-2 inhibition, as described herein, may lead to enhanced removal of ultraviolet-damaged keratinocytes, thereby decreasing malignant transformation in the epidermis.

Involucrin (hINV) is an important structural component of the keratinocyte cornified envelope that is expressed early in the keratinocyte differentiation process and is thought to be a component of the initial envelope scaffolding. We have previously shown that cyanogen bromide (CNBr) cleavage of cornified envelopes isolated from cultured foreskin keratinocytes releases several discrete involucrin-immunoreactive peptides. In this study, we compare the pattern of release of immunoreactive hINV fragments from envelopes prepared from human breast skin and foreskin, and from spontaneous and induced envelopes prepared from cultured keratinocytes. We also identify one of the released products. Envelopes prepared from human breast skin or foreskin, or spontaneous or induced envelopes prepared from cultured cells differ significantly in structure. The envelopes isolated from epidermis appear to be structurally complete, whereas spontaneous envelopes appear less complete and the induced envelopes appear to be the least complete. In spite of these structural differences, CNBr cleavage releases an identical quartet of hINV-immunoreactive peptides migrating between 68 and 81 kDa from each preparation. Immunoblots indicate that the quantity of hINV-immunoreactive material released per microg of envelope protein is as follows: induced > spontaneous > foreskin > breast skin. The fastest migrating peptide (68 kDa) comigrates with a peptide that is released after CNBr cleavage of bacterially produced-recombinant hINV. Amino-terminal amino acid sequencing of this peptide from recombinant hINV and from the cornified envelopes yields the sequence G-Q-L-K-H-L-E-Q-Q-E-G-Q-P-K-H. These results suggest that this fragment is the 275-amino acid segment of hINV beginning at G311 and extending to K585, and that this peptide is not crosslinked to another protein. These results indicate that a population of the envelope-associated hINV present in cultured and in vivo keratinocytes is crosslinked in the amino-terminal half. It is possible that this species represents an early intermediate in the involucrin crosslinking process.

Human involucrin (hINV) is a constituent of the scaffolding of the cornified envelope. In the present study, we describe an in vitro model system to study the role of hINV in scaffold formation. We characterize the in vitro cross-linking of full-length (585 amino acid) recombinant hINV, rhINV(1–585). When reacted with detergent-solubilized, particulate transglutaminase type 1 (TG1) or partially purified type 2 transglutaminase (TG2), rhINV(1–585) functions as a TG substrate in a calcium-dependent manner. When the reaction is supplemented with ¹⁴C-putrescine tracer, the radiolabeled cosubstrate is incorporated into a high-molecular-weight product in a calcium-, rhINV(1–585)- and time-dependent manner. ³⁵S-rhINV(1–585) is also cross-linked to form a high-molecular-weight product. These results suggest that rhINV(1–585) is extensively multimerized. Products having a molecular weight smaller than authentic rhINV(1–585) are also formed, providing evidence for intramolecular cross-link formation. Transmission electron microscopy of cross-linked product reveals immunoreactive large-molecular-weight loop-string-loop and branched structures. Our studies (1) show that rhINV(1–585) is a substrate for both TG1 and TG2, (2) indicate that rhINV(1–585) can be cross-linked to form macromolecular products having distinct structural features, (3) demonstrate that rhINV(1–585) forms intramolecular cross-links when hINV concentration is limiting and (4) establish that hINV possesses reactive Gln and Lys residues.

SUMMARY We have previously demonstrated that the EP1 subtype of PGE2 receptor is expressed in the differentiated compartment of normal human epidermis and is coupled to intracellular calcium mobilization. We therefore hypothesized that the EP1 receptor is coupled to keratinocyte differentiation. In in vitro studies, radioligand binding, RT-PCR, immunoblot and receptor agonist-induced second messenger studies demonstrate that the EP1 receptor is up-regulated by high cell density in human keratinocytes and this up-regulation precedes corneocyte formation. Moreover, two different EP1 receptor antagonists, SC51322 and AH6809, both inhibited corneocyte formation. SC51322 also inhibited the induction of differentiation-specific proteins, cytokeratin K10 and epidermal transglutaminase. We next examined the immunolocalization of the EP1 receptor in non-melanoma skin cancer in humans. Well differentiated SCCs exhibited significantly greater membrane staining, while spindle cell carcinomas and BCCs had significantly decreased membrane staining compared with normal epidermis. This data supports a role for the EP1 receptor in regulating keratinocyte differentiation.