European Epidermal Barrier Research Network

European Epidermal Barrier Research Network

European Epidermal Barrier Research Network

European Epidermal Barrier Research Network

Research Focus

  1. Programmed cell death of epidermal keratinocytes. Roles of proteases, in particular caspases, and nucleases in keratinocyte differentiation. Molecular regulation of DNA degradation in the epidermis

  2. Enzymatic activities in the stratum corneum. Focus on the metabolism of nucleic acids, proteins, and amino acids. Contribution of enzymes to protective functions of the the stratum corneum

  3. Antimicrobial defense of the skin. Mechanisms of regulation of cutaneous anti-bacterial proteins

  4. Evolution of the epidermal barrier. Application of comparative genomics and phylogenetic methods to skin biology



Research Focus Picture


Important Publications

  1. Fischer H, Szabo S, Scherz J, Jaeger K, Rossiter H, Buchberger M, Ghannadan M, Hermann M, Theussl HC, Tobin DJ, Wagner EF, Tschachler E, Eckhart L (2011) Essential role of the keratinocyte-specific endonuclease DNase1L2 in the removal of nuclear DNA from hair and nails. J Invest Dermatol 131:1208-1215

  2. Fischer H, Scherz J, Szabo S, Mildner M, Benarafa C, Torriglia A, Tschachler E, Eckhart L (2011) DNase 2 is the main DNA-degrading enzyme of the stratum corneum. PLoS ONE 6:e17581

  3. Szabo S, Jaeger K, Fischer H, Tschachler E, Parson W, Eckhart L (2011) In situ labeling of DNA reveals inter-individual variation in nuclear DNA breakdown in hair and may be useful to predict success of forensic genotyping of hair. Int J Legal Med, in press. DOI: 10.1007/s00414-011-0566-5

  4. Barresi C, Stremnitzer C, Mlitz V, Kezic S, Kammeyer A, Ghannadan M, Posa-Markaryan K, Selden C, Tschachler E, Eckhart L (2011) Increased sensitivity of histidinemic mice to ultraviolet B radiation suggests a crucial role of endogenous urocanic acid in photoprotection. J Invest Dermatol 131:188-194

  5. Langbein L, Eckhart L, Rogers MA, Praetzel-Wunder S, Schweizer J (2010) Against the rules: The human keratin K80 - Two functional alternative splice variants, K80 and K80.1, with special cellular localization in a wide range of epithelia. J Biol Chem 285:36909-36921

  6. Abtin A, Eckhart L, Gläser R, Gmeiner R, Mildner M, Tschachler E (2010) The antimicrobial heterodimer S100A8/S100A9 (calprotectin) is up-regulated by bacterial flagellin in human epidermal keratinocytes. J Invest Dermatol 130:2423-2430

  7. Mildner M, Jin J, Eckhart L, Kezic S, Gruber F, Barresi C, Stremnitzer C, Buchberger M, Mlitz V, Ballaun C, Sterniczky B, Födinger D, Tschachler E (2010) Knockdown of filaggrin impairs the diffusion barrier function and increases the UV sensitivity in a human skin model. J Invest Dermatol 130:2286-2294

  8. Abtin A, Eckhart L, Mildner M, Ghannadan M, Harder J, Schröder JM, Tschachler E (2009) Degradation by stratum corneum proteases prevents endogenous RNase inhibitor from blocking antimicrobial activities of RNase 5 and RNase 7. J Invest Dermatol 129:2193-2201

  9. Eckhart L, Dalla Valle L, Jaeger K, Ballaun C, Szabo S, Nardi A, Buchberger M, Hermann M, Alibardi L, Tschachler E (2008) Identification of reptilian genes encoding hair keratin-like proteins suggests a new scenario for the evolutionary origin of hair. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 105:18419-18423

  10. Eckhart L, Schmidt M, Mildner M, Mlitz V, Abtin A, Ballaun C, Fischer H, Mrass P, Tschachler E (2008) Histidase expression in human epidermal keratinocytes: Regulation by differentiation status and all-trans retinoic acid. J Dermatol Sci 50:209-215

  11. Abtin A, Eckhart L, Mildner M, Gruber F, Schröder JM, Tschachler E (2008) Flagellin is the principal inducer of the antimicrobial peptide S100A7c (psoriasin) in human epidermal keratinocytes exposed to Escherichia coli. FASEB J 22:2168-2176

  12. Eckhart L, Fischer H, Barken KB, Tolker-Nielsen T, Tschachler E (2007) DNase1L2 suppresses biofilm formation by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. Br J Dermatol 156:1342-1345

  13. Fischer H, Eckhart L, Mildner M, Jaeger K, Buchberger M, Ghannadan M, Tschachler E (2007) DNase1L2 degrades nuclear DNA during corneocyte formation. J Invest Dermatol 127:24-30

  14. Fischer H, Rossiter H, Ghannadan M, Jaeger K, Barresi C, Declercq W, Tschachler E, Eckhart L (2005) Caspase-14 but not caspase-3 is processed during the development of fetal mouse epidermis. Differentiation 73:406-413

  15. Fischer H, Stichenwirth M, Dockal M, Ghannadan M, Buchberger M, Bach J, Kapetanopoulos A, Declercq W, Tschachler E, Eckhart L (2004) Stratum corneum-derived caspase-14 is catalytically active. FEBS Lett 577:446-450

  16. Eckhart L, Declercq W, Ban J, Rendl M, Lengauer B, Mayer C, Lippens S, Vandenabeele P, Tschachler E (2000) Terminal differentiation of human keratinocytes and stratum corneum formation is associated with caspase-14 activation. J Invest Dermatol 115:1148-1151

last update: 2011, May



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