Stathmin regulates keratinocyte proliferation and migration during cutaneous regeneration

PLoS One. 2013 Sep 16;8(9):e75075. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0075075. eCollection 2013.

Abstract

Cutaneous regeneration utilizes paracrine feedback mechanisms to fine-tune the regulation of epidermal keratinocyte proliferation and migration. However, it is unknown how fibroblast-derived hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) affects these mutually exclusive processes in distinct cell populations. We here show that HGF stimulates the expression and phosphorylation of the microtubule-destabilizing factor stathmin in primary human keratinocytes. Quantitative single cell- and cell population-based analyses revealed that basal stathmin levels are important for the migratory ability of keratinocytes in vitro; however, its expression is moderately induced in the migration tongue of mouse skin or organotypic multi-layered keratinocyte 3D cultures after full-thickness wounding. In contrast, clearly elevated stathmin expression is detectable in hyperproliferative epidermal areas. In vitro, stathmin silencing significantly reduced keratinocyte proliferation. Automated quantitative and time-resolved analyses in organotypic cocultures demonstrated a high correlation between Stathmin/phospho-Stathmin and Ki67 positivity in epidermal regions with proliferative activity. Thus, activation of stathmin may stimulate keratinocyte proliferation, while basal stathmin levels are sufficient for keratinocyte migration during cutaneous regeneration.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cell Movement / drug effects
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Humans
  • Keratinocytes / cytology*
  • Keratinocytes / drug effects*
  • Ki-67 Antigen / metabolism
  • Stathmin / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Ki-67 Antigen
  • Stathmin

Grants and funding

This study was supported by a grant from the BMBF (MedSys ‘Chronic Wounds’, 0315401A/B to PS, KB, NG, GG, and PA). No conflicts of financial interest to declare. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.