title: The genetics of human skin disease.
abstract: The skin is composed of a variety of cell types expressing specific molecules and possessing different properties that facilitate the complex interactions and intercellular communication essential for maintaining the structural integrity of the skin. Importantly, a single mutation in one of these molecules can disrupt the entire organization and function of these essential networks, leading to cell separation, blistering, and other striking phenotypes observed in inherited skin diseases. Over the past several decades, the genetic basis of many monogenic skin diseases has been elucidated using classical genetic techniques. Importantly, the findings from these studies has shed light onto the many classes of molecules and essential genetic as well as molecular interactions that lend the skin its rigid, yet flexible properties. With the advent of the human genome project, next-generation sequencing techniques, as well as several other recently developed methods, tremendous progress has been made in dissecting the genetic architecture of complex, non-Mendelian skin diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032.
authors.forename: Gina M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: DeStefano
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032 Department of Dermatology, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032.
authors.forename: Angela M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Christiano
mesh_terms: D055012:Chromosomal Position Effects; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D019175:DNA Methylation / Q000235:genetics; D004200:Diseases in Twins / Q000235:genetics; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005821:Genetic Techniques; D055106:Genome-Wide Association Study; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics; D009030:Mosaicism; D009154:Mutation; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D010641:Phenotype; D012873:Skin Diseases, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D024182:Uniparental Disomy
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs