[HTML][HTML] Notch-deficient skin induces a lethal systemic B-lymphoproliferative disorder by secreting TSLP, a sentinel for epidermal integrity

S Demehri, Z Liu, J Lee, MH Lin, SD Crosby… - PLoS …, 2008 - journals.plos.org
S Demehri, Z Liu, J Lee, MH Lin, SD Crosby, CJ Roberts, PW Grigsby, JH Miner, AG Farr…
PLoS biology, 2008journals.plos.org
Epidermal keratinocytes form a highly organized stratified epithelium and sustain a
competent barrier function together with dermal and hematopoietic cells. The Notch
signaling pathway is a critical regulator of epidermal integrity. Here, we show that
keratinocyte-specific deletion of total Notch signaling triggered a severe systemic B-
lymphoproliferative disorder, causing death. RBP-j is the DNA binding partner of Notch, but
both RBP-j–dependent and independent Notch signaling were necessary for proper …
Epidermal keratinocytes form a highly organized stratified epithelium and sustain a competent barrier function together with dermal and hematopoietic cells. The Notch signaling pathway is a critical regulator of epidermal integrity. Here, we show that keratinocyte-specific deletion of total Notch signaling triggered a severe systemic B-lymphoproliferative disorder, causing death. RBP-j is the DNA binding partner of Notch, but both RBP-j–dependent and independent Notch signaling were necessary for proper epidermal differentiation and lipid deposition. Loss of both pathways caused a persistent defect in skin differentiation/barrier formation. In response, high levels of thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) were released into systemic circulation by Notch-deficient keratinocytes that failed to differentiate, starting in utero. Exposure to high TSLP levels during neonatal hematopoiesis resulted in drastic expansion of peripheral pre- and immature B-lymphocytes, causing B-lymphoproliferative disorder associated with major organ infiltration and subsequent death, a previously unappreciated systemic effect of TSLP. These observations demonstrate that local skin perturbations can drive a lethal systemic disease and have important implications for a wide range of humoral and autoimmune diseases with skin manifestations.
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