Comprehensive RNA sequencing in primary murine keratinocytes and fibroblasts identifies novel biomarkers and provides potential therapeutic targets for skin-related diseases

Background: Keratinocytes and fibroblasts represent the major cell types in the epidermis and dermis of the skin and play a significant role in maintenance of skin homeostasis. However, the biological characteristics of keratinocytes and fibroblasts remain to be elucidated. The purpose of this study was to compare the gene expression pattern between keratinocytes and fibroblasts and to explore novel biomarker genes so as to provide potential therapeutic targets for skin-related diseases such as burns, wounds, and aging. Methods: Skin keratinocytes and fibroblasts were isolated from newborn mice. To fully understand the heterogeneity of gene expression between keratinocytes and fibroblasts, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the two cell types were detected by RNA-seq technology. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the known genes of keratinocytes and fibroblasts and verify the RNA-seq results. Results: Transcriptomic data showed a total of 4309 DEGs (fold-change > 1.5 and q-value < 0.05). Among them, 2197 genes were highly expressed in fibroblasts and included 10 genes encoding collagen, 16 genes encoding transcription factors, and 14 genes encoding growth factors. Simultaneously, 2112 genes were highly expressed in keratinocytes and included 7 genes encoding collagen, 14 genes encoding transcription factors, and 8 genes encoding growth factors. Furthermore, we summarized 279 genes specifically expressed in keratinocytes and 33 genes specifically expressed in fibroblasts, which may represent distinct molecular signatures of each cell type. Additionally, we observed some novel specific biomarkers for fibroblasts such as Plac8 (placenta-specific 8), Agtr2 (angiotensin II receptor, type 2), Serping1 (serpin peptidase inhibitor, clade G, member 1), Ly6c1 (lymphocyte antigen 6 complex, locus C1), Dpt (dermatopontin), and some novel specific biomarkers for keratinocytes such as Ly6a (lymphocyte antigen 6 complex, locus A) and Lce3c (late cornified envelope 3C), Ccer2 (coiled-coil glutamate-rich protein 2), Col18a1 (collagen, type XVIII, alpha 1) and Col17a1 (collagen type XVII, alpha 1). In summary, these data provided novel identifying biomarkers for two cell types, which can provide a resource of DEGs for further investigations.

Automated summary

This study compared the gene expression patterns between keratinocytes and fibroblasts, identifying a large number of differentially expressed genes. Keratinocytes and fibroblasts have distinct molecular characteristics, providing a resource for investigating novel biomarkers related to skin diseases.