ArticleMolecular biology and evolution2014
Evolutionary origin and diversification of epidermal barrier proteins in amniotes.
Article in Molecular biology and evolution, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 70 papers.
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70 citing papers in PubMed, 135 citations in OpenAlex.
- Evolution of an amphibian-specific family of epidermal differentiation-associated genes.Molecular biology and evolution · 2026Article
- Structural and Functional Elements of the Epidermal Appendages in Birds and Reptiles: Conformations and Modes of Assembly of the Constituent β-Filaments and Keratin Intermediate Filaments (IF).Sub-cellular biochemistry · 2026Review
- Protective Effect of Peony (Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- The Epithelial Egg Tooth of the Chicken Shares Protein Markers with the Embryonic Subperiderm and Feathers.Journal of developmental biology · 2025Article
- Comparative Transcriptomics Reveals a Dual Role of the Epidermal Differentiation Complex in the Skin and the Oesophagus.Experimental dermatology · 2025Article
- Organizational principles of integumentary organs: Maximizing variations for effective adaptation.Developmental biology · 2025Review
- Transcriptomic characterization of transitioning cell types in the skin of Atlantic salmon.BMC biology · 2025Article
- Skin Appendage Proteins of Tetrapods: Building Blocks of Claws, Feathers, Hair and Other Cornified Epithelial Structures.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2025Review
- Convergent Evolution Has Led to the Loss of Claw Proteins in Snakes and Worm Lizards.Genome biology and evolution · 2025Article
- A molecular mechanism for bright color variation in parrots.Science (New York, N.Y.) · 2024Article
- Article
- The Evolution of Transglutaminases Underlies the Origin and Loss of Cornified Skin Appendages in Vertebrates.Molecular biology and evolution · 2024Article
- Comparative genomics of sirenians reveals evolution of filaggrin and caspase-14 upon adaptation of the epidermis to aquatic life.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Evolutionary origin of Hoxc13-dependent skin appendages in amphibians.Nature communications · 2024Article
- Ancient skin sported intricately patterned scales.Nature · 2024Article
- Dynamics and Epigenetics of the Epidermal Differentiation Complex.Epigenomes · 2024Review
- Comparative genomics of monotremes provides insights into the early evolution of mammalian epidermal differentiation genes.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Development-Associated Genes of the Epidermal Differentiation Complex (EDC).Journal of developmental biology · 2024Review
- Epidermal Barrier Development via Corneoptosis: A Unique Form of Cell Death in Stratum Granulosum Cells.Journal of developmental biology · 2023Review
- A previously uncharacterized Factor Associated with Metabolism and Energy (FAME/C14orf105/CCDC198/1700011H14Rik) is related to evolutionary adaptation, energy balance, and kidney physiology.Nature communications · 2023Article
10 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The evolution of amniotes has involved major molecular innovations in the epidermis. In particular, distinct structural proteins that undergo covalent cross-linking during cornification of keratinocytes facilitate the formation of mechanically resilient superficial cell layers and help to limit water loss to the environment. Special modes of cornification generate amniote-specific skin appendages such as claws, feathers, and hair. In mammals, many protein substrates of cornification are encoded by a cluster of genes, termed the epidermal differentiation complex (EDC). To provide a basis for hypotheses about the evolution of cornification proteins, we screened for homologs of the EDC in non-mammalian vertebrates. By comparative genomics, de novo gene prediction and gene expression analyses, we show that, in contrast to fish and amphibians, the chicken and the green anole lizard have EDC homologs comprising genes that are specifically expressed in the epidermis and in skin appendages. Our data suggest that an important component of the cornified protein envelope of mammalian keratinocytes, that is, loricrin, has originated in a common ancestor of modern amniotes, perhaps during the acquisition of a fully terrestrial lifestyle. Moreover, we provide evidence that the sauropsid-specific beta-keratins have evolved as a subclass of EDC genes. Based on the comprehensive characterization of the arrangement, exon-intron structures and conserved sequence elements of EDC genes, we propose new scenarios for the evolutionary origin of epidermal barrier proteins via fusion of neighboring S100A and peptidoglycan recognition protein genes, subsequent loss of exons and highly divergent sequence evolution.
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