A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Keratinocyte Microvesicles Regulate the Expression of Multiple Genes in Dermal Fibroblasts
Authors: Ping Huang, Jiarui Bi, Gethin R. Owen, Weimin Chen, Anne Rokka, Leeni Koivisto, Jyrki Heino, Lari Häkkinen, Hannu Larjava
Publisher: NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP
Publication year: 2015
Journal: Journal of Investigative Dermatology
Journal name in source: JOURNAL OF INVESTIGATIVE DERMATOLOGY
Journal acronym: J INVEST DERMATOL
Volume: 135
Issue: 12
First page : 3051
Last page: 3059
Number of pages: 9
ISSN: 0022-202X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/jid.2015.320
Extracellular vesicles released from cells regulate many normal and pathological conditions. Little is known about the role of epidermal keratinocyte microvesicles (KC-MVs) in epithelial-stromal interaction that is essential for wound healing. We investigated, therefore, whether MV-like structures are present in human wounds and whether they affect wound healing-associated gene expression in dermal fibroblasts. In human wounds, MV-like vesicles were observed during active epithelial migration and early granulation tissue formation. When KC-MVs derived from keratinocyte-like cells (HaCaT) were added to fibroblast cultures, expression of 21 genes was significantly regulated (P<0.05) out of 80 genes investigated, including matrix metalloproteinase-1 and -3, interleukin-6 and -8, and genes associated with transforming growth factor-beta signaling. Similar changes were observed at the protein level. MVs from normal epidermal keratinocytes showed similar response to HaCaT cells. KC-MVs activated ERK1/2, JNK, Smad, and p38 signaling pathways in fibroblasts with ERK1/2 signaling having the most prominent role in the MV-induced gene expression changes. KC-MVs stimulated fibroblast migration and induced fibroblast-mediated endothelial tube formation but did not affect collagen gel contraction by fibroblasts. The results demonstrate that keratinocyte microvesicles have a strong and a specific regulatory effect on fibroblasts that may modulate several aspects of wound healing.