Crossing the barrier: STRA6 in epidermal differentiation.
Overview
abstract
In this issue, Skazik et al. demonstrate that the STRA6 retinol transporter protein regulates the proliferation and differentiation of epidermal keratinocytes. In human organotypic three-dimensional skin and skin reconstitution models, depletion of STRA6 induced hyperproliferation-associated differentiation, resulting in epidermal expansion. This reveals that STRA6 functions as a "gatekeeper" in retinol (vitamin A)-mediated differentiation of human skin.
