Mechanical integrity/resilience |
Cornified envelope, cytosolic filaments |
Cross-linked peptides; e.g. loricrin; keratin filaments |
Xenobiote defense |
Lamellar bilayers |
Lipid solubility; P450 system (outer epidermis) |
Antimicrobial defense |
Lamellar bilayers; extracellular matrix |
Acidic pH; free fatty acids; antimicrobial peptides |
Antioxidant defense |
Corneocytes and extracellular matrix |
Kerations; sebaceous gland-derived vitamin E and other antioxidants |
Cytokine signaling |
Corneocyte cytosol |
Storage & release of pro-IL-1α/β; serine proteases |
Permeability barrier |
Lamellar bilayers |
Hydrophobic lipids |
Hydration |
Lamellar bilayers; corneocyte cytosolic matrix |
Sebaceous gland-derived glycerol; filaggrin breakdown products (NMFs) |
Waterproofing/repellency |
Lamellar bilayers |
Keratinocyte and sebum-derived lipids |
Cohesion/desquamation |
Corneodesmosomes |
Acidic pH serine proteases |
UV protection |
Corneocyte cytosol |
Structural proteins; tUCA |