title: Differentiation of snake epidermis, with emphasis on the shedding layer.
abstract: Little is known about specific proteins involved in keratinization of the epidermis of snakes. The presence of histidine-rich molecules, sulfur, keratins, loricrin, transglutaminase, and isopeptide-bonds have been studied by ultrastructural autoradiography, X-ray microanalysis, and immunohistochemistry in the epidermis of snakes. Shedding takes place along a shedding complex, which is composed of two layers, the clear and the oberhautchen layers. The remaining epidermis comprises different layers, some of which contain beta-keratins and others alpha-keratins. Weak loricrin, transglutaminase, and sometimes also iso-peptide-bond immunoreactivities are seen in some cells, lacunar cells, of the alpha-layer. Tritiated histidine is mainly incorporated in the shedding complex, especially in dense beta-keratin filaments in cells of the oberhautchen layer and to a small amount in cells of the clear layer. This suggests the presence of histidine-rich, matrix proteins among beta-keratin bundles. The latter contain sulfur and are weakly immunolabeled for beta-keratin at the beginning of differentiation of oberhautchen cells. After merging with beta cells, the dense beta-keratin filaments of oberhautchen cells become immunopositive for beta-keratin. The uptake of histidine decreases in beta cells, where little dense matrix material is present, while pale beta-keratin filaments increase. During maturation, little histidine labeling remains in electron-dense areas of the beta layer and in those of oberhautchen spinulae. Some roundish dense granules of oberhautchen cells rich in sulfur are negative to antibodies for alpha-keratin, beta-keratin, and loricrin. The granules eventually merge with beta-keratin, and probably contribute to the formation of the resistant matrix of oberhautchen cells. In conclusion, beta-keratin, histidine-rich, and sulfur-rich proteins contribute to form snake microornamentations.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biologia Evoluzionistica Sperimentale, University of Bologna, 40126, Bologna, Italy. Alibardi@biblio.cib.unibo.it
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Alibardi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D017812:Colubridae / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000254:growth & development*; D004817:Epidermis / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000648:ultrastructure*