Figure 1.

Acute deletion of Perp leads to desmosome defects. (a) Perp immunohistochemistry on skin samples from control (Perp^fl/fl) and K14CreER; Perp^fl/fl mice 4 weeks post tamoxifen injection. (b) H&E analysis of control (Perp^fl/fl) and K14CreER; Perp^fl/fl mice 4 weeks post tamoxifen injection, 200× and 400× magnification. (c) Graph displays the average percentage of PCNA positive cells in the basal cell layer in both control (Perp^fl/fl) and K14CreER; Perp^fl/fl mice 4 weeks post tamoxifen injection. Graph represents the average of 3 separate fields from each of 4 mice +/− SEM. Statistical significance was determined using the Mann-Whitney test * = P < .03. (d) Representative image of the proliferation in the basal layer of the epidermis measured by PCNA immunostaining in control (Perp^fl/fl) and K14CreER; Perp^fl/fl mice 4 weeks post tamoxifen injection. (e) Immunofluorescence analysis of differentiation markers on control (Perp^fl/fl) and K14CreER; Perp^fl/fl mice 4 weeks post tamoxifen injection. Keratin 14, Keratin 1, and Loricrin mark the basal, the spinous, and the granular layers, respectively. DAPI is used to mark nuclei. (f) Solubility/western blot analysis of Dsg1 and Pg in K14CreER; Perp^fl/fl or control (K14CreER; Perp^+/+) mouse skin. Both Triton X-100-soluble and Urea fractions are presented. Gapdh and Keratin 14 serve as loading controls for the Triton X-100 and urea fractions, respectively. Scale bar for panels (a, b) (right column), (d), and (e) equals 20 μm. Scale bar for panel (b) (left column) equals  100 μm.