The virus was prevalent in more than 213 countries and caused SAHA HDAC in vivo at least 16,931 deaths (3). In Japan, the virus was first detected on 8 May 2009 at Narita airport in returnees from Canada; more than 20,000 confirmed cases and at least 99 deaths had been reported by 16 May 2010 (4). Although the A(H1N1)pdm09 has moderate virulence, it has mostly infected the young, especially those of school-age (5) and disproportionately impacted them (6). Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus is a novel reassortant, containing the PB1, PB2, PA, HA, NP and NS gene segments from North American triple-reassortant

swine viruses, and the NA and M gene segments from the Eurasian swine lineage (7). The latest whole-genome phylogenetic analysis of A(H1N1)pdm09 has shown

that at least seven different clades of viruses have been circulating globally (8). In this report, we analyzed the HA genes of 70 strains isolated from a single university population in order to describe the phylogenetic relationships of the strains circulating in the university. Nasal swab specimens from 71 patients, most of whom were current students and a few of BTK inhibitor whom were trainee doctors, were collected in the Dental and Medical Clinic attached to Health Sciences University of Hokkaido at Tobetsu in neighboring Sapporo. The Tobetsu campus, which is attended by approximately 2,500 students, consists of three faculties; Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dentistry, and Nursing and Social Services. Most of the students live in Tobetsu or commute from Sapporo on the same train line. The collected specimens were kept in a sample medium of DMEM supplemented with 1% BSA and 50 μg/mL gentamicin. The specimens were collected between 3 September and 15 December 2009, during which time the school was closed twice (from 21 to 23 October and 10 to 13 November) due to influenza epidemics (Fig. 1). All study patients tested positive for type A influenza by Branched chain aminotransferase a rapid

test for influenza A and B viruses. The study was approved by the ethics committee of the Health Sciences University of Hokkaido and all patients gave informed consent. Madin-Darby canine kidney cells were cultured in DMEM supplemented with 10% FBS and 50 μg/mL gentamicin. The sample medium containing the specimen was clarified by centrifugation and inoculated into a monolayer of MDCK cells. After 1hr incubation at 35°C, the medium was removed and the cells were incubated in DMEM supplemented with 1% BSA, 50 μg/mL gentamicin and 5 μg/mL trypsin at 35°C for 2–3 days. When extensive cytopathic effects had been observed, the supernatants were collected, clarified and passaged once in MDCK cells. The HA genes of influenza A virus were amplified and analyzed as previously described (9). Briefly, 10 mL of the culture fluid of virus-infected cells was ultracentrifuged and the pellet was used for RNA extraction.

6a, bottom panels). In some sections, single hepatocytes were found to be necrotic: a hallmark for ongoing liver injury. In contrast to the NRG mice, infiltrates were less pronounced in NRG Aβ–/–DQ8tg mice, also showing far fewer CD8+ T cells (Fig. 6a). Non-humanized mice (non-hu) showed no infiltrates (Fig. 6a, top panels). The skin is a further organ affected typically by GVHD. In both mouse strains we observed macroscopically alterations of skin texture such as hyperkeratosis, Selumetinib nmr scleroderma and desquamation, as

used for clinical score grading. As expected, histological examination confirmed these observations. The skin surface appeared undulated and signs of fibrosis, folliculitis and steatitis were evident within the hypodermis [see arrows in Fig. 6, haematoxylin

and eosin (H&E) staining]. Notably, these observations tended to be more severe in NRG control mice compared to NRG Aβ–/–DQ8tg mice. PI3K inhibitor As GVHD is a systemic disease, we consequently also detected huCD8 T cells in other organs, such as kidney and intestine. Again, infiltrates were less pronounced in NRG Aβ–/–DQ8tg mice compared to NRG mice (Fig. 6a). To quantify the huCD8+ cell infiltrates we used a published score [33]. Livers of NRG mice exhibited a significantly higher infiltration by human CD8+ T cells (mean score: Cediranib (AZD2171) 2·15) compared to those of NRG Aβ–/–DQ8tg mice (mean score: 1·36). In addition, kidneys and intestines of NRG mice were also infiltrated more severely by huCD8+ cells (mean score: 1·05 and 1·00, respectively) compared to NRG Aβ–/–DQ8tg mice (mean score: 0·58 and 0·42, respectively). This tendency of a more pronounced infiltration in NRG mice was also seen for the skin, although the difference was not statistically

significant (mean score: 1·45 versus 1·33 in NRG versus NRG Aβ–/–DQ8tg mice, respectively). Taken together, the delayed onset and mild progression of GVHD in NRG Aβ–/–DQ8tg mice could be due to a delay in the activation and expansion of xenoreactive CD8+ cells. In this study, we examined the effect of replacing murine MHC class II by HLA class II (DQ8) on the development of GVHD upon adoptive transfer of DQ8-positive human PBMCs into immunodeficient recipient mice (NRG Aβ–/–DQ8tg versus conventional NRG mice). The presence of HLA-DQ8 in NRG Aβ–/–DQ8tg recipient mice augmented significantly the overall repopulation rate by human PMBCs compared to conventional NRG mice. The cellular subset capable of engraftment was skewed exclusively towards CD3+ T cells in both mouse strains. Despite this, the striking difference between the two strains was the time-frame until GVHD became fatal.

32 and Jain et LY2157299 clinical trial al. 33, who showed that inactivation of Myc overexpression in Myc-transgenic mice for short periods of

time allowed further cellular differentiation of previously malignant T cells, acute myeloid leukemia cells, and osteogenic sarcoma tumors, thereby inducing a loss of transformation of these cells. Hence, upon reactivation of Myc overexpression, the differentiated, previously transformed cells were resistant to further malignant proliferation and survival. Since Myc is known to be involved in the generation of mouse plasmacytomas 34 and other mature neoplasms of mice 35 and humans (such as Burkitt’s Lymphoma), it should be able to contribute to the transformation of at least some of the compartments of mature B cells. Our findings that Myc together with Pim1 does not induce long-term proliferation of mature B cells ex vivo or in vivo suggests that different combinations of proto-oncogenes might be active in B-lineage cells at different stages of their development. If the cell cycle promoting activity of Myc also functions in mature B cells, then the inhibition of apoptosis selleck screening library supplied by another cooperating oncogene with activity in mature B cells

may be required for transformation to uncontrolled proliferation. Interesting partner candidates for Myc in mature B-cell stages are Bcl2 36, as well as BclXL 37 and Bcl6. The latter two together have recently been shown to induce proliferation of human GABA Receptor germinal center B cells ex vivo in the presence of CD40 signaling and interleukin

IL21 38. Our Pim1- and Myc-transduced inducible cell lines should be useful tools to search for additional genes with cooperating functions in the transformation of normal pre-B cells, and they also enable to screen for cooperating oncogenes active on their ways to fully malignant stages in mature B cells, memory cells and plasma cells. For the retroviral vector expressing the reverse transactivator rtTA-M2, the plasmid pSuperRetroPuro (OligoEngine, Seattle WA, USA) was cut with XhoI and ClaI (all from New England Biolabs, Ipswich MA, USA) to remove all unnecessary elements, and a linker element containing an MCS was inserted instead (=pSR-L). The phosphoglycerate kinase promoter (pgk, from pSuperRetroPuro), the rtTA gene preceded by the Kozak sequence CACC(ATG), an IRES sequence taken from pIRES (Clontech, Mountain View CA, USA), and the HistidinolR gene (from the pSV2-HIS vector) were inserted at different restriction sites in the linker (Supporting Information Fig. 1B). For the doxycycline-inducible expression vectors driving expression of Pim1, Myc, and EGFP, the puromycin resistance gene (pSuperRetroPuro) or the hygromycin resistance gene (pLHCX, Clontech) under the control of the pgk promoter were cloned into the vector pSR-L.

trachomatis inclusions (Coers et al., 2008). This localization was observed only with C. trachomatis, while C. muridarum seems to have evolved mechanisms that prevent the accumulation of GTPases in the chlamydial inclusion, a possible immune evasion strategy (Coers et al., 2008). Although most of the assessed pathways seem to help the host cell in bacterial clearance, there is evidence that Chlamydiales also use TLRs to establish a replication-friendly environment. Chlamydia pneumoniae raises ATP levels through activation of the TLR2/Myd88 pathway. This behavior is crucial

because Chlamydiales are unable to produce ATP (Yaraei et al., 2005). MIP-2 and KC are two chemokines expressed upon Myd88 learn more activation. In infected mice, these chemokines attract polymorphonuclear neutrophils to the lungs. Chlamydia pneumoniae is thought to use these cells to spread Maraviroc throughout the lungs (Rodriguez et al., 2005). Immune cells can therefore be used as vehicles to reach new tissues instead of fighting the infection. Interaction of Chlamydiales with TLRs is of particular interest because they control inflammation that can become chronic or, if uncontrolled, cause damage. For example,

TLR2 recognition of bacterial PAMPs was linked to trophoblast apoptosis (Abrahams et al., 2004), which could provoke preterm delivery. Similarly, exposure to chlamydial Hsp60 (CHsp60) induces apoptosis in trophoblasts. Trophoblast TLR4 recognized CHsp60 and, through an unknown signaling pathway, induced several downstream caspases (Equils et al., 2006). Development of atherosclerosis was reduced in TLR2-deficient mice infected with C. pneumoniae. Without the TLRs, the level of circulating cytokines

was reduced and less dendritic cells were activated next (Naiki et al., 2008). Thus, different yet unknown chlamydial antigens seem to induce such a strong response that they cause severe damage to the surrounding tissue. Downstream of PRRs, there are not only cytokines and their receptors but also several enzymes that synthesize microbicidal molecules. ROS are strong microbicidals produced by macrophages, dendritic cells and neutrophils. Most of them are produced by NADPH oxidase (Nox), a multiproteic transmembrane complex. This family of genes is found only in multicellular organisms, with few exceptions (reviewed in Bedard & Krause, 2007). There are three different classes of NADPH oxidases (reviewed in Bedard et al., 2007). In most mammals, all seven genes are found, while rodents lack Nox5. The Nox present in phagocytic cells is Nox2. It is not clear whether other members of the Nox family are also specifically induced upon infection of phagocytic cells. Chronic granulomatous disease is a severe and debilitating disease found in individuals with mutations in components of the Nox2 complex.

Ag43/Fcε3, as a protein vaccine, produced neutralizing autoantibodies to murine IgE, induced significant anti-asthma effects, and regulated IgE and T helper cytokines in a murine asthma model. Data show that Ag43/Fcε3 chimeric protein is a potential model vaccine for asthma treatment, and that the Ag43 system may be an effective tool for novel vaccine preparation to break immune tolerance to other self-molecules. “
“Infection with Listeria induces a dominant shift to the Th1

immune response and inhibits the Th2 response. Papain is frequently utilized in animal models Poziotinib nmr of allergies. Papain administration induces chemotaxis of basophils to regional lymph nodes (LNs) and production of interleukin (IL)-4 by basophils, resulting in a Th2-dominant status and increased IgE production in LNs. In this model, production of immunoglobulin (Ig) E by LN cells is primarily

controlled by IL-4 produced by basophils. Based on this model, it was postulated that Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) infection suppresses IgE production by LN cells. Therefore, the effects of Lm infection on a papain-induced mouse model of allergies were investigated. Following s.c. injection of papain, basophils transiently migrated to draining LNs because of the effects of chemokine (C–C) motif ligand (CCL) 24 and secreted IL-4, inducing Selleckchem Ceritinib a Th2 response. Lm infection blocked recruitment of basophils into the popliteal LNs by inhibiting CCL24 production. Papain-induced class switch Fossariinae recombination (CSR) to IgE is inhibited by Lm infection, whereas CSR to IgG1 is not affected by the same treatment. Therefore, the CSR of IgG1 to IgE is basophil-dependent, whereas the CSR of IgM to IgG1 is basophil-independent. Hence, Lm infection suppresses CSR to IgE without affecting CSR to IgG1. “
“The DNA damage response (DDR) alerts the immune system to the danger posed by DNA damage through the induction of damage-associated molecular pattern molecules, chemokines, and ligands for activating immune receptors such as lymphocyte function-associated antigen 1 (LFA-1), NKG2D, and DNAX accessory molecule 1 (DNAM-1). Here we provide evidence that OVA257–264-pulsed

fibroblasts gain the ability to activate naïve OT-I CD8+ T cells in response to DNA damage. The ability of fibroblasts to activate OT-I CD8+ T cells depended on the upregulation of ICAM-1 on fibroblasts and DNAM-1 expression of CD8+ T cells. OVA257–264-pulsed fibroblasts were able to induce a protective T-cell response against B16-OVA cells in a DDR-dependent manner. Hence, the DDR may alert the immune system to the presence of potentially dangerous cells by upregulating the expression of ligands that can induce the activation of innate and adaptive immune cells. “
“Immunoglobulins (Igs) play important immunomodulatory effects on allergic asthma. Among these, IgG has been reported to regulate allergic inflammation in previous studies about immunotherapy and intravenous immunoglobulin therapy.

Despite ongoing nephrotic range proteinuria (most recently a urine protein to creatinine ratio of 467 mg/mmol), renal function has since remained stable

at 2 years post transplant with a serum creatinine of 130 μmol/L. In patients with ESKD caused by MCGN who have received a renal allograft, rMCGN occurs in approximately 40%, with15% losing their graft due to recurrent disease.[1] In a series of 29 patients with rMCGN, all recurred within 14 months of transplantation with the majority (83%) recurring within 6 months. Interestingly, in 7 of these 29 patients, the diagnosis was made on protocol biopsies or on indication biopsies without a clinical suspicion of recurrent disease. In the absence of proven effective treatment, it is unknown whether an earlier diagnosis by way of protocol biopsy would lead to improved outcomes.[2] In

the same study, the authors made the observation that patients selleck compound receiving transplants from living donors had a trend toward higher rates of recurrence compared with those receiving kidneys from deceased selleck products donors (P = 0.06).[2] A subsequent study in a different cohort of patients however did not find this association.[3] The other predictors of recurrences include hypocomplementaemia, a feature noted in our patient, and the presence of a serum monoclonal protein.[2, 3] Recently, there has been a move to classify MCGN based on the pattern of immunostaining into immune-complex-mediated or complement-mediated.[4] Immune-complex mediated processes Epothilone B (EPO906, Patupilone) trigger the activation of complement via the classical pathway resulting in glomerular endothelial damage. Renal biopsies of these patients typically demonstrate both immunoglobulin and complement staining. In contrast, complement-mediated MCGN is thought to be secondary

to dysregulated complement activation without significant immunoglobulin deposition. This hypothesis is supported by the finding that MCGN is associated with genetic polymorphisms in genes encoding complement regulatory factors.[5] At this stage however, there is no evidence to suggest which type is more likely to recur after transplantation. It is unclear why only 40% of patients develop recurrent disease. The suggestion that recurrence rates are higher among living related donor transplants and among those with evidence of complement activation suggests a complex interplay between circulating factors as well as pre-disposition of the kidney tissue to immune-complex or complement mediated damage.[2] In our case, the disease progressed much more quickly in her live-related transplant compared with the subsequent deceased donor transplant. Another possible factor may be differences in baseline immunosuppression with our patient having used cyclosporine maintenance for her first graft and tacrolimus for her second graft.

The rigour applied to interpreting the data for the adult CKD blood pressure targets (Chapters 3 and 4) has not been applied to kidney transplant recipients (Chapter 5). The most likely reason is what is stated in the text: that a blood pressure target has already been stated in another KDIGO Guideline.[16] The KDIGO

Management of Blood Pressure in CKD Work Group state that there is no new data to contradict the previous statement, although they reduced the grade from 2C to 2D. Consistency is not just a problem for KDIGO, as management of blood pressure permeates many areas of nephrology PD-332991 and therefore, many guidelines. For example, the KHA-CARI Guideline for the Detection, Prevention and Management of Early Chronic Kidney Disease, which recommends blood pressure targets[6] (Table 1) was preceded by five different guidelines that are now ‘out of date’ and three guidelines that remain current, all of which make statements about issues covered in the KDIGO BP Guideline (see http://www.cari.org.au/ckd_prevent_list_published.php accessed 15/7/2013). The KDIGO Clinical Practice Guideline on the Management of Blood Pressure Galunisertib in CKD makes reasonable statements about the management of blood pressure in

CKD and is less accepting of the evidence for lower blood pressure targets than previous guidelines. By providing a blood pressure target for most patient groups, they are able to be implemented by clinicians. This guideline is useful to illustrate the paucity of evidence in a fundamental area of nephrology practice but highlights the difficulties of maintaining consistency in the grading of that evidence for a topic that transcends different aminophylline areas of nephrology practice and therefore appears in different guidelines. I thank Dr Elisabeth Hodson of the Centre for Kidney Research, The Sydney Children’s Hospital Network (Westmead), for reviewing the

Paediatric Chapter and for her comments on this manuscript. “
“The Framingham Risk Score (FRS), calculated by considering conventional risk factors of cardiovascular diseases, was developed to predict coronary heart disease in various populations. However, reverse epidemiology has been raised concerning these risk factors in predicting high cardiovascular mortality in hemodialysis patients. Our objectives are to determine whether FRS is associated with overall and cardiovascular mortality and the role of new risk markers when they were added to a FRS model in hemodialysis patients. This study enrolled 201 hemodialysis patients aged 20–80 years old. The FRS is used to identify individuals categorized as low (<6% 10-year risk), intermediate (6–20% risk) or high risk (>20% risk). Medical records were reviewed to collect clinical information. Data of ankle-brachial index (ABI) and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) were obtained by an ABI-form device. The mean follow-up period was 4.

The COV for each of the laboratory ELISAs was calculated based on the Student t-distribution of the negative control sera readings, following

the equation by Dixon and Massey, 1983 [16, 17]. The equation used for the COV calculation is as follows: (1) The antifilarial IgG4-ELISA was performed as above with a few modifications, using sera from brugian filariasis patients. BmR1 filarial recombinant antigen (20 μg/mL) was used to coat the microtitre plate. The secondary antibody, antihuman IgG4-HRP, was diluted to 1 : 4500. Serial dilutions of the serum samples were made from 1 : 200 to 1 : 25 600 in PBS, pH 7·2. The Strongyloides Torin 1 Serology Microwell ELISA (IVD Research, Inc., Carlsbad, CA, USA), which is based on the detection of human IgG antibodies against Strongyloides spp. antigen, was performed according to the manufacturer’s instructions. In brief, serum samples were diluted 1 : 64 in dilution buffer and incubated for 10 min in the antigen-coated wells. After three washes with wash buffer, two drops of conjugate solution were added and incubated for 5 min. Subsequently, Nivolumab mouse the wells were washed again as described above followed by the addition of two drops of chromogenic solution. Following a 5-min incubation, the reaction was stopped with two drops of stop solution,

and the results were immediately read at 450 nm (reference: 620 nm). The COV given for this test is 0·200. The statistical significance of the difference in S. stercoralis-specific antibody titres was analysed by one-way

anova test. Pearson correlation coefficient (r) test was used to analyse the correlations among the levels of IgG and IgG4, IgG and IgG (IVD) and IgG4 and IgG (IVD) antibodies to Strongyloides spp. Spearman correlation test was used to analyse correlation between the anti-Strongyloides IgG4 (OD405) results and the antifilarial IgG4 antibody titres in filariasis serum. Statistical tests were performed using GraphPad Prism version 5 (San Diego, CA, USA). In addition, a paired t-test was used to determine whether the difference in the specificities of the two IgG-ELISAs was significant. In all cases, differences BCKDHB were considered as statistically significant when P < 0·05. In this study, we examined parasite-specific IgG4, IgG and IgE responses against S. stercoralis infection using laboratory ELISAs as well as a commercial IgG-ELISA (IVD). The COVs and results obtained for all ELISAs are shown in Table 2. Of the 26 patients who were faecally positive for Strongyloides, 20 were seropositive for specific IgG4 antibody with a sensitivity rate of 76·9%, 22 (84·6%) were seropositive by both laboratory and commercial (IVD) IgG tests, and only 2 were seropositive for parasite-specific IgE antibody (7·7%). Further studies using much larger sample size will need to be performed to confirm the results of this small scale study. These preliminary findings would be a useful guide in designing the larger study.

“
“Spleen tyrosine kinase Syk provides critical transducer functions for a number of immune cell receptors and has been implicated in the generation of several forms of leukemias.

Catalytic activity and the ability of Syk to interact with other signaling EX 527 mouse elements depend on the phosphorylation status of Syk. We have now identified and quantified the full spectrum of phosphoacceptor sites in human Syk as well as the interactome of Syk in resting and activated B cells by high-resolution mass spectrometry. While the majority of inducible phosphorylations occurred on tyrosine residues, one of the most frequently detected phosphosites encompassed serine 297 located within the linker insert distinguishing the long and short isoforms of Syk. Full-length Syk can associate with more than 25 distinct ligands including the 14-3-3γ adaptor protein, which binds directly to phosphoserine 297. The latter complex attenuates inducible plasma

membrane recruitment of Syk, thereby limiting antigen receptor-proximal signaling pathways. Collectively, the established ligand library provides PD0325901 order a basis to understand the complexity of the Syk signaling network. The 72 kDa spleen tyrosine kinase Syk provides catalytic activity to hematopoietic cell surface receptors encompassing ITAMs in their signaling subunits 1. Following ligand-induced receptor aggregation, doubly phosphorylated ITAMs recruit Syk by virtue of its N-terminal Src homology 2 (SH2) domains. Interdomain A of Syk links the two SH2 domains, which are connected to the C-terminal kinase domain by interdomain B. Two Syk isoforms can be generated by alternative splicing, which leads to the presence or absence of 23 amino acids, called the linker insert region, in interdomain B 2, 3. Several mechanisms operate in concert to control Syk activity. The phospho-ITAM/(SH2)2 interaction leads to allosteric activation most likely by changing the conformation of Syk from a closed inactive form to an open active structure 4, 5. Moreover, phospho-ITAMs act as inducible membrane anchors for cytosolic Syk and the accompanied subcellular

relocalization provides Syk with access to key substrates Interleukin-3 receptor 6. Phosphorylation of tyrosine residues within the kinase domain or interdomain B boosts the catalytic activity of Syk or generates docking sites for SH2 domain-containing effector proteins, respectively 7. Termination of Syk activity can be achieved by dephosphorylation through protein tyrosine phosphatases such as SHP1 or proteasomal degradation induced by binding of the E3 ubiquitin ligase Cbl to a distinct phosphotyrosine residue in interdomain B 8, 9. Syk activation and triggering of downstream effector cascades have been extensively studied in B lymphocytes. In fact, Syk was initially identified as a B-lymphoid tyrosine kinase associated with BCR 10, 11. BCRs comprise membrane-bound Igs of different classes for ligand recognition and the ITAM-containing signaling subunits Igα (CD79a) and Igβ (CD79b).

Subsequent studies showed that PMA-induced skin inflammation, which is intimately involved in tumor promotion, was attenuated in PLCε−/− mice 17. Using PLCε−/− dermal fibroblasts, we demonstrated that PMA treatment stimulates PLCε through Rap1 activation and thereby induces the expression of proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-1α 17. Moreover, PLCε is required for efficient production of proinflammatory Y-27632 manufacturer cytokines from intrinsic skin cells

the elicitation stage of the allergic dermatitis 18. Such a function of PLCε in inflammation is unique among the PLC isozymes 14. In this study, we show that transgenic mice overexpressing PLCε in epidermal keratinocytes spontaneously develop skin inflammation, which correlates well with increased production of factors implicated in human inflammatory skin diseases from keratinocytes. These results further support the crucial role of PLCε in skin inflammation. The transgene CAG-XstopX-mPLCε-IRES-NLLacZ was designed to overexpress PLCε after Cre recombinase-mediated excision of the XstopX cassette consisting of the translation/transcription termination signals sandwiched by two loxP sites (Fig. 1A). We obtained four independent lines of transgenic ALK inhibitor mice with different copy numbers of this transgene (hereafter designated CAG-XstopX-PLCε mice) (Supporting

Information Fig. 1). To overexpress PLCε in the skin, female CAG-XstopX-PLCε mice (Lines A, G, and H) were mated with male K5-Cre mice expressing Cre recombinase under the control of the keratin 5 promoter 19. The resulting CAG-XstopX-PLCε;K5-Cre mice (hereafter called K5-PLCε-TG mice) overexpressed PLCε in the epidermis and hair follicles (Fig. 1B), which was consistent with the reported tissue-specificity of the recombination in K5-Cre mice 20. K5-PLCε-TG mice were obtained at the expected Mendelian Bacterial neuraminidase frequency and looked grossly normal in the early neonatal period. However, skin alterations characterized by excessive formation of adherent silvery scales appeared

at postnatal day (P) 9 over the whole body (Fig. 1C and D) and lasted over the following 8 wk (data not shown). The epidermis of WT mice was thick until P6 and thereafter became much thinner (Fig. 2A). In contrast, the epidermis of K5-PLCε-TG mice failed to undergo such thinning at P9 and P26 while it showed no apparent difference from that of WT littermates until P6 (Fig. 2A). K5-PLCε-TG mice (n>250 in total) derived from all the three independent CAG-XstopX-PLCε lines inevitably developed the same skin phenotype. These skin alterations were reproduced in another transgenic mouse line carrying the germline copies of the CAG-PLCε transgene, which was devoid of the K5-Cre transgene (data not shown), indicating no involvement of Cre in the development of the skin phenotype.