title: Peroxiredoxin 6 is a potent cytoprotective enzyme in the epidermis.
abstract: Peroxiredoxin 6 is an enzyme that detoxifies hydrogen peroxide and various organic peroxides. In previous studies we found strongly increased expression of peroxiredoxin 6 in the hyperproliferative epidermis of wounded and psoriatic skin, suggesting a role of this enzyme in epidermal homeostasis. To address this question, we generated transgenic mice overexpressing peroxiredoxin 6 in the epidermis. Cultured keratinocytes from transgenic mice showed enhanced resistance to the toxicity of various agents that induce oxidative stress. However, overexpression of peroxiredoxin 6 did not affect skin morphogenesis or homeostasis. On skin injury, enhancement of wound closure was observed in aged animals. Most importantly, peroxiredoxin 6 overexpression strongly reduced the number of apoptotic cells after UVA or UVB irradiation. These findings demonstrate that peroxiredoxin 6 protects keratinocytes from cell death induced by reactive oxygen species in vitro and in vivo, suggesting that activation of this enzyme could be a novel strategy for skin protection under stress conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Institute of Cell Biology, ETH Zurich, Honggerberg, HPM D42, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Angelika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kümin
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Huber
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rülicke
authors.forename: Eckhard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Werner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019610:Cytoprotection / Q000235:genetics*; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000235:genetics; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D000078404:Epidermal Cells; D004817:Epidermis / Q000201:enzymology / Q000528:radiation effects; D015870:Gene Expression; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009024:Morphogenesis / Q000235:genetics; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D010544:Peroxidases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D054465:Peroxiredoxin VI; D054464:Peroxiredoxins; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism*; D012867:Skin / Q000201:enzymology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000528:radiation effects; D015533:Transcriptional Activation; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D010544:Peroxidases; D054465:Peroxiredoxin VI; D054464:Peroxiredoxins; C515983:Prdx6 protein, mouse