Keratinocyte survival, differentiation, and death: many roads lead to mitogen-activated protein kinase

Authors

Richard L. Eckert, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Cleveland, Ohio 44106-4970, USA. rle2@po.cwru.edu
Tatiana Efimova
Shervin R. Dashti
Sivaprakasam Balasubramanian
Anne Deucher
James F. Crish
Michael Sturniolo
Frederic Bone

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

1-10-2003

Journal

The journal of investigative dermatology. Symposium proceedings

Volume

7

Issue

1

DOI

10.1046/j.1523-1747.2002.19634.x

Abstract

The epidermis is a dynamic and continually renewing surface that provides and maintains a life-sustaining interface with the environment. The epidermal keratinocyte, the major cell type of the epidermis, undergoes a complex and carefully choreographed program of differentiation. This process requires a balance between keratinocyte proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. This overview will concentrate on cascades that regulate the balance between keratinocyte cell proliferation and survival, and apoptosis and cell differentiation, with a particular emphasis on the role of the mitogen-activated protein kinase cascades. A summary of the literature suggests that extracellular regulated kinases function to promote keratinocyte proliferation and survival, whereas p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase functions to promote differentiation and apoptosis.

APA Citation

Eckert, R. L., Efimova, T., Dashti, S. R., Balasubramanian, S., Deucher, A., Crish, J. F., Sturniolo, M., & Bone, F. (2003). Keratinocyte survival, differentiation, and death: many roads lead to mitogen-activated protein kinase. The journal of investigative dermatology. Symposium proceedings, 7 (1). http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1523-1747.2002.19634.x