Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences
+ mechanobiology, + cytoskeleton, cytolinkers, + cell junctions, + simple epithelia
By combining the CRISPR/Cas9-based gene editing approach and pharmacological inhibition with the novel cytoskeletal inhibitor plecstatin, we provided the first-ever evidence that plectin – in an F-actin dependent manner – orchestrates epithelial keratin filaments into a ‘rim-and-spoke’ configuration. [pubmed] [doi]
We have created a mouse model recapitulating the symptoms of epidermolysis bullosa in the liver. We have shown that epidermolysis-associated genes play a key role in liver adaptation to cholestasis. The study also highlighted the risks in patients with epidermolysis in combination with impaired bile production and excretion. [pubmed] [doi]
We have found that mice with plectin ablation in intestinal epithelial cells spontaneously developed a colitic phenotype – that is extensive detachment of intestinal epithelial cells from the basal membrane, ulceration, and mucosal inflammation. According to our study, antibiotic treatment and a low-residue liquid diet, which reduces mechanical stress, ameliorate intestinal epithelial damage. [pubmed] [doi]
