# GENE EXPRESSION AND DIFFERENTIATION IN HUMAN EPIDERMIS

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO · 1988 · $319,055

## Abstract

The long range objective of this research is an understanding of the
biochemical mechanisms that operate and regulate the expression of human
genes during growth and differentiation.  The human epidermis has been
chosen as a model system, since we are able to serially cultivate these
cells in vitro under conditions where many of the differentiative
properties, including stratification are retained.

The major differentiation-specific proteins in these cells are the
keratins, a group of closely related proteins of MW 40-70 K daltons that
form 80 Angstrom cytoskeletal filaments.  Only a subset of these keratins
are ever expressed by an epidermal cell at any one time.  During the course
of differentiation, this subset changes concomitantly with an increase in
keratin synthesis, leaving the fully differentiated epidermal cell with 85%
of its total protein as keratins.  We already know that early changes in
the differentiation involve changes in mRNAs whereas late changes involve
proteolytic processing.  Recently, we isolated near full-length cDNA clones
to the different epidermal keratins mRNAs and we showed that there are two
distinct classes of keratins.  We would now like to determine the nucleic
acid sequence of these cDNAs.  Since no amino acid sequence data is
available, the amino acid sequence predicted from the cDNA sequence will be
essential in determining the structural and functional relationship between
these two classes of keratins.  We will also isolate and characterize
genomic clones for the keratins.  This will aid us in determining the
complexity and chromosomal organization of the keratin genes.  We will then
prepare subclones of these sequences to probe posttranscriptional
regulation of keratin gene expression.  Finally, epidermal cells from
patients with genetic skin diseases are currently being cultured and
alterations in the regulation and expression of the keratins and other
differentiation-specific proteins in these cells will be investigated.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3155577
- **Project number:** 5R01AR027883-08
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
- **SAM.gov UEI:** ZUE9HKT2CLC9
- **Principal Investigator:** ELAINE FUCHS
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1988
- **Award amount:** $319,055
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1980-12-01 → 1988-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3155577

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3155577, GENE EXPRESSION AND DIFFERENTIATION IN HUMAN EPIDERMIS (5R01AR027883-08). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3155577. Licensed CC0.

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