Detail

Keywords

Apoptosis; Autophagy; Caspases; Endonucleases; Epidermis; Evolution, Molecular; Genomics; Keratinocytes; Keratins; Melanocytes; Neurons; Skin; Skin Diseases

Research group(s)

• Research Division of Biology and Pathobiology of the Skin
  Members:
  Leopold Eckhart
  Florian Gruber

Research interests

• Barrier function of the skin,
• Evolution of the skin,
• Programmed cell death,
• Autophagy,
• Genomics

Techniques, methods & infrastructure

• Comparative genomics
• Targeted gene deletions in animal models
• In vitro models of human skin
• Molecular biological, biochemical and immunohistochemical techniques

Grants

• Evolution of epidermal transglutamination (2019)
  Source of Funding: FWF (Austrian Science Fund), Stand-Alone Projects
  Principal Investigator
• Characterization of age-related protein accumulation in autophagy-deficient neurons. (2015)
  Source of Funding: Herzfelder'sche Familienstiftung,
  Principal Investigator
• Evolution of epidermal cornification proteins (2015)
  Source of Funding: FWF (Austrian Science Fund), Stand-Alone Projects
  Principal Investigator
• Molecular evolution of the epidermis in amniotes (2011)
  Source of Funding: FWF (Austrian Science Fund), Stand-Alone Projects
  Principal Investigator
• The role of DNase1L2 in epidermal DNA degradation (2008)
  Source of Funding: FWF (Austrian Science Fund), Stand-Alone Projects
  Principal Investigator

Selected publications

1. Ehrlich, F. et al., 2018. Differential evolution of the epidermal keratin cytoskeleton in terrestrial and aquatic mammals. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 36(2), pp.328–340. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msy214.
2. Fischer, H. et al., 2014. Loss of keratin K2 expression causes aberrant aggregation of K10, hyperkeratosis, and inflammation. Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 134(10), pp.2579-2588. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/jid.2014.197.
3. Strasser, B. et al., 2014. Evolutionary origin and diversification of epidermal barrier proteins in amniotes. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 31(12), pp.3194-3205. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msu251.
4. Fischer, H. et al., 2011. Essential role of the keratinocyte-specific endonuclease DNase1L2 in the removal of nuclear DNA from hair and nails. Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 131(6), pp.1208-1215. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/jid.2011.13.
5. Eckhart, L. et al., 2008. Identification of reptilian genes encoding hair keratin-like proteins suggests a new scenario for the evolutionary origin of hair. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 105(47), pp.18419-18423. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0805154105.