185 aPKC is a rheostat that controls basal junctional dynamics and suprabasal cytoskeletal organization essential for epidermal dynamics and integrity

The stratified skin epidermis needs dynamic cell rearrangement to self-renew while maintaining tissue integrity guarantee barrier function in the face of continuous mechanical stress. contractile actomyosin cytoskeleton connects with intercellular adheres junctions enable cellular rearrangements and migration, whereas physical properties keratin intermediate filament through its interaction desmosomes mechanically strengthen tissues. How cells coordinate resilience reorganization maintain during renewal adapting stress is not known. We show that polarity kinase aPKC balances keratin- actin-linked cell-cell cell-matrix stresses basal suprabasal movement. find loss promotes sheets, independent regulation desmosomes. Instead, a more filamentous stressed network. This change accompanied by increased contractility an inability reorganize F-actin fibers into cortical F-actin. Importantly, inhibiting reverses organization lowered upon aPKC. Increasing control keratinocytes was sufficient increase keratins resilience, suggesting respond prestress. In conclusion, our data suggest serves as rheostat adapts activity resilience.