Nature Communications (Oct 2021)

OTULIN maintains skin homeostasis by controlling keratinocyte death and stem cell identity

  • Esther Hoste,
  • Kim Lecomte,
  • Karl Annusver,
  • Niels Vandamme,
  • Jana Roels,
  • Sophia Maschalidi,
  • Lien Verboom,
  • Hanna-Kaisa Vikkula,
  • Mozes Sze,
  • Lisette Van Hove,
  • Kevin Verstaen,
  • Arne Martens,
  • Tino Hochepied,
  • Yvan Saeys,
  • Kodi Ravichandran,
  • Maria Kasper,
  • Geert van Loo

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-25944-2
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 1
pp. 1 – 16

Abstract

Read online

OTULIN is a deubiquitinase for linear ubiquitin chains. Here the authors show, using genetic mouse models and single-cell RNA-sequencing, that deficiency of OTULIN in keratinocytes causes skin inflammation and verrucous carcinoma via the induction of keratinocyte death, thereby implicating a function of OTULIN in keratinocyte homeostasis.