Transcriptome Study of an Exophiala dermatitidis PKS1 Mutant on an ex Vivo Skin Model: Is Melanin Important for Infection?

The black yeast Exophiala dermatitidis is a polyextremophilic human pathogen, especially known for growing in man-made extreme environments. Reported diseases caused by this fungus range from benign cutaneous to systemic infections with 40% fatality rate. While the number of cases steadily increases in both immunocompromised and immunocompetent people, detailed knowledge about infection mechanisms, virulence factors and host response are scarce. To understand the impact of the putative virulence factor melanin on the infection, we generated a polyketide synthase (PKS1) mutant using CRISPR/Cas9 resulting in a melanin deficient strain. The mutant and the wild-type fungus were inoculated onto skin explants using an ex vivo skin organ culture model to simulate in vivo cutaneous infection. The difference between the mutant and wild-type transcriptional landscapes, as assessed by whole RNA-sequencing, were small and were observed in pathways related to the copper homeostasis, cell wall genes and proteases. Seven days after inoculation the wild-type fungus completely colonized the stratum corneum, invaded the skin and infected keratinocytes while the mutant had only partially covered the skin and showed no invasiveness. Our results suggest that melanin dramatically improves the invasiveness and virulence of E. dermatitidis during the first days of the skin infection

Novel specific human and mouse stromelysin-1 (MMP-3) and stromelysin-2 (MMP-10) antibodies for biochemical and immunohistochemical analyses

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) are a family of more than 25 zinc-dependent enzymes that are centrally involved in cellular migration, tissue remodelling, cancer invasion and metastasis. Besides degrading extracellular matrix proteins, MMPs are crucial for growth factor and cytokine release and activation. At the same time, they can inactivate inflammatory mediators and enzymes themselves through protein degradation. Subclasses of MMPs include collagenases, gelatinases, stromelysins, membrane-bound MMPs and others. With regard to the stromelysin subfamily, 3 members exist, e.g. stromelysin-1 (MMP-3), stromelysin-2 (MMP-10) and stromelysin-3 (MMP-11). MMP-3 and MMP-10 share extensive similarities at the amino acid level that made it difficult to develop specific antibodies distinguishing between MMP-3 and MMP-10. Scrutinizing published data on and performing different analyses with detection of both stromelysins with commercially available or lab-made antibodies showed ambiguous results with regard to specificity of antibodies used to date. We developed new specific antibodies against the most divergent parts of the active forms of both proteins. We assessed the specificity of our novel specific anti-human and anti-mouse MMP-3 and MMP-10 antibodies in cell lysates and different human and murine skin tissues. Tests analysing specificity of the novel antibodies included Western immunoblotting, immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry on paraffin sections. Analyses demonstrated specific detection of respective protein for human or mouse samples except for the anti-human MMP-3 antibody. The aim of this summary was to call attention the MMP research community to distinguish clearly between both enzymes. Our new specific anti-mouse MMP-3 and both MMP-10 antibodies allow us to address this detection problem and to enable comparative studies between both stromelysins with regard to their respective location and function in the tissue. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Lung Surfactant Accelerates Skin Wound Healing : A Translational Study with a Randomized Clinical Phase I Study

Lung surfactants are used for reducing alveolar surface tension in preterm infants to ease breathing. Phospholipid films with surfactant proteins regulate the activity of alveolar macrophages and reduce inflammation. Aberrant skin wound healing is characterized by persistent inflammation. The aim of the study was to investigate if lung surfactant can promote wound healing. Preclinical wound models, e.g. cell scratch assays and full-thickness excisional wounds in mice, and a randomized, phase I clinical trial in healthy human volunteers using a suction blister model were used to study the effect of the commercially available bovine lung surfactant on skin wound repair. Lung surfactant increased migration of keratinocytes in a concentration-dependent manner with no effect on fibroblasts. Significantly reduced expression levels were found for pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic genes in murine wounds. Because of these beneficial effects in preclinical experiments, a clinical phase I study was initiated to monitor safety and tolerability of surfactant when applied topically onto human wounds and normal skin. No adverse effects were observed. Subepidermal wounds healed significantly faster with surfactant compared to control. Our study provides lung surfactant as a strong candidate for innovative treatment of chronic skin wounds and as additive for treatment of burn wounds to reduce inflammation and prevent excessive scarring. © 2020, The Author(s)

Matrix Metalloproteinase-3 is Key Effector of TNF-α-Induced Collagen Degradation in Skin

Inflammatory processes in the skin augment collagen degradation due to the up-regulation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). The aim of the present project was to study the specific impact of MMP-3 on collagen loss in skin and its interplay with the collagenase MMP-13 under inflammatory conditions mimicked by the addition of the pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Skin explants from MMP-3 knock-out (KO) mice or from transgenic (TG) mice overexpressing MMP-3 in the skin and their respective wild-type counterparts (WT and WTT) were incubated ex vivo for eight days. The rate of collagen degradation, measured by released hydroxyproline, was reduced (p < 0.001) in KO skin explants compared to WT control skin but did not differ (p = 0.47) between TG and WTT skin. Treatment with the MMP inhibitor GM6001 reduced hydroxyproline media levels from WT, WTT and TG but not from KO skin explants. TNF-α increased collagen degradation in the WT group (p = 0.0001) only. More of the active form of MMP-13 was observed in the three MMP-3 expressing groups (co-incubation with receptor-associated protein stabilized MMP-13 subforms and enhanced detection in the media). In summary, the innate level of MMP-3 seems responsible for the accelerated loss of cutaneous collagen under inflammatory conditions, possibly via MMP-13 in mice

Genital Wound Repair and Scarring

Skin wound repair has been the central focus of clinicians and scientists for almost a century. Insights into acute and chronic wound healing as well as scarring have influenced and ameliorated wound treatment. Our knowledge of normal skin notwithstanding, little is known of acute and chronic wound repair of genital skin. In contrast to extra-genital skin, hypertrophic scarring is uncommon in genital tissue. Chronic wound healing disorders of the genitals are mostly confined to mucosal tissue diseases. This article will provide insights into the differences between extra-genital and genital skin with regard to anatomy, physiology and aberrant wound repair. In light of fundamental differences between genital and normal skin, it is recommended that reconstructive and esthetic surgery should exclusively be performed by specialists with profound expertise in genital wound repair

The transcriptome of Exophiala dermatitidis during ex-vivo kin model infection

The black yeast Exophiala dermatitidis is a widespread polyextremophile and humanpathogen, that is found in extreme natural habitats and man-made environments suchas dishwashers. It can cause various diseases ranging from phaehyphomycosis andsystemic infections, with fatality rates reaching 40%. While the number of cases inimmunocompromised patients are increasing, knowledge of the infections, virulencefactors and host response is still scarce. In this study, for the first time, an artificialinfection of an ex-vivo skin model with Exophiala dermatitidis was monitoredmicroscopically and transcriptomically. Results show that Exophiala dermatitidis is ableto actively grow and penetrate the skin. The analysis of the genomic andRNA-sequencing data delivers a rich and complex transcriptome where circular RNAs,fusion transcripts, long non-coding RNAs and antisense transcripts are found. Changesin transcription strongly affect pathways related to nutrients acquisition, energymetabolism, cell wall, morphological switch, and known virulence factors. TheL-Tyrosine melanin pathway is specifically upregulated during infection. Moreover theproduction of secondary metabolites, especially alkaloids, is icreased. Our study is thefirst that gives an insight into the complexity of the transcriptome of Exophialadermatitidis during artificial skin infections and reveals new virulence factors

Experimental Colonic Obstruction Increases Collagen Degradation by Matrix Metalloproteinases in the Bowel Wall.

PURPOSE: Emergency resections for colonic obstruction are accompanied with increased risk of anastomotic dehiscence. Elevated local degradation of submucosal collagens by matrix metalloproteinases may predispose to anastomotic leakage. This study was designed to study the effect of colon obstruction and surgical trauma on matrix metalloproteinase activities and correlate these results to collagen concentration in the colon wall. METHODS: Colonic obstruction was induced in male, Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 58) by applying a constricting silicone ring around the left colon 3 cm above the peritoneal reflection. After four days of obstruction, 2-mm wide colonic segments were resected approximately 3 mm proximal and 3 mm distal to the stenosis for biochemical analyses. Colonic segments at corresponding locations were obtained from sham-operated rats (n = 5) without obstruction but with silicone ring placed adjacent to colon and from normal, nontraumatized rats (n = 10). Matrix metalloproteinase activity was determined by liberation of fragmented collagens from homogenized colonic tissue incubated ex vivo. Matrix metalloproteinase-2 specifically was analyzed by gelatin zymography. RESULTS: Endogenous collagenolysis by matrix metalloproteinases increased (P < 0.001) in colon as a consequence of obstruction (4.1-fold) and trauma (1.7-fold) compared with normal colon. In the proximity of the colon stenosis, total matrix metalloproteinase activity and matrix metalloproteinase-2 were significantly (P < 0.05) higher above than below the obstruction. Total activity was 22.9 (13.1–32.9) units/mg collagen proximal and 16.6 (12.7–18.4) units/mg collagen distal to the stenosis. Collagen concentration correlated inversely (r = –0.76; P < 0.001) with total matrix metalloproteinase activity. CONCLUSION: Colonic obstruction and trauma up-regulated matrix metalloproteinases and decreased collagen concentration in colonic wall

Wound repair and scarring of genital skin

Aim: Scarring is a physiological process in adult wound repair. Although keratinocytes and fibroblasts are the main cell types of the skin, they differ in migration behaviour and inflammatory responses depending on their location in the body. The aim of this article is to describe wound repair in genital skin and to depict differences with regard to skin anatomy and cellular responses to inflammatory stimuli in acute and chronic wound healing.Methods: This report reviews data from patients undergoing reconstructive and aesthetic plastic surgery as well as published studies on genital wound repair. Genital surgery comprised plastic reconstructive surgery after urological interventions of biological men and women, tissue from trans-males and trans-females undergoing gender reassignment surgery and tissue from patients undergoing aesthetic genital surgery. The cohort comprised a total of 68 patients (32.9 ± 11.3 years), of which 31 were male (mean 30.4 ± 9.3 years) and 37 were female (34.9 ± 12.5 years; mean ± SD).Results: Wound healing in genital skin markedly differs from other areas of the body due to its anatomical features, microbiome, and elevated hormonal responsiveness. Human genital skin is highly extensible and unusually rich in elastic fibres, and it lacks the mechanical anchorage and tensile properties typical of non-genital regions. Acute injury resolves rapidly due, in part, to rapid resolution of the inflammatory response. In contrast to scarring responses on other body surfaces, genital skin wounding is resolved by shrinkage or fistula formation.Conclusion: The embryological origins of genital skin fibroblasts, together with the gender-specific hormonal environment, contribute to the unique phenotype and healing properties of genital skin. When performing genital surgery, it is of utmost importance to be aware of the differing responsiveness of genital tissue to trauma, surgery, and repair

Tumor necrosis factor-α-accelerated degradation of type I collagen in human skin is associated with elevated matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1 and MMP-3 ex vivo

AbstractTumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α induces matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) that may disrupt skin integrity. We have investigated the effects and mechanisms of exogenous TNF-α on collagen degradation by incubating human skin explants in defined serum-free media with or without TNF-α (10ng/ml) in the absence or presence of the nonselective MMP inhibitor GM6001 for 8 days. The basal culture conditions promoted type I collagen catabolism that was accelerated by TNF-α (p<0.005) and accomplished by MMPs (p<0.005). Levels of the collagenases MMP-8 and MMP-13 were insignificant and neither MMP-2 nor MMP-14 were associated with increased collagen degradation. TNF-α increased secretion of MMP-1 (p<0.01) but had no impact on MMP-1 quantities in the tissue. Immunohistochemical analysis confirmed similar tissue MMP-1 expression with or without TNF-α with epidermis being the major source of MMP-1. Increased tissue-derived collagenolytic activity with TNF-α exposure was blocked by neutralizing MMP-1 monoclonal antibody and was not due to down-regulation of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1. TNF-α increased production (p<0.01), tissue levels (p<0.005) and catalytic activity of the endogenous MMP-1 activator MMP-3. Type I collagen degradation correlated with MMP-3 tissue levels (rs=0.68, p<0.05) and was attenuated with selective MMP-3 inhibitor. Type I collagen formation was down-regulated in cultured compared with native skin explants but was not reduced further by TNF-α. TNF-α had no significant effect on epidermal apoptosis. Our data indicate that TNF-α augments collagenolytic activity of MMP-1, possibly through up-regulation of MMP-3 leading to gradual loss of type I collagen in human skin