Pathological meprin α expression associated with degradation of dermokine drives a psoriasis-like skin phenotype in a genetic mouse model

Keratinocyte proliferation and differentiation is regulated via proteolytic networks. Dysregulation of proteases within these networks can cause hyperproliferative and inflammatory skin disorders. In healthy skin the metalloprotease meprin α is localized in the stratum basale . In contrast, in wound healing tissue and psoriatic lesions increased meprin α levels are found in the upper epidermal layers. We developed a transgenic mouse model for inducible expression of pathological meprin α levels (K5Mα) to investigate its epidermal degradome and identify molecular links to keratinocyte proliferation and skin inflammation.

K5Mα mice developed a severe skin phenotype characterized by hyperkeratosis, acanthosis and parakeratosis accompanied by increased transepidermal water loss and a strong inflammatory response within six days after induction of meprin α overexpression. Histological and molecular analyses showed that increasing meprin α expression correlates with meprin α activity and keratinocyte hyperproliferation. Proteomics analyses revealed massive changes in proteins associated with keratinocyte differentiation and epidermal barrier integrity already three days after induction. N-terminomics data indicated a dominant chymotryptic activity with elevated proteolytic turnover of proteins associated with the cytoskeleton, cellular stress responses and cell adhesion. By filtering for cleavage sites that match with the specificity of meprin α, we identified highly elevated dermokine-derived peptides. Subsequent mass spectrometric analyses validated dermokine as a novel substrate of meprin α and identified the cleavage site, which is highly conserved in mammals.

Based on the striking similarities with the phenotype reported for dermokine αβγ ^-/- mice, we propose meprin α as a central regulator of keratinocyte proliferation and leukocyte recruitment by proteolytic inactivation of dermokine. Hence, pathological meprin α activity could be a driver of hyperproliferative, inflammatory skin disorders like psoriasis vulgaris.