Proteomic analysis of differentially expressed skin proteins in iRhom2Uncv mice

A mouse homozygous for the spontaneous mutation uncovered (Uncv) has a hairless phenotype. A 309-bp non-frameshift deletion mutation in the N-terminal cytoplasmic domain of iRhom2 was identified in Uncv mice (iRhom2(Uncv)) using target region sequencing. The detailed molecular basis for how the iRhom2 mutation causes the hairless phenotype observed in the homozygous iRhom2(Uncv) mouse remains unknown. To identify differentially expressed proteins in the skin of wild-type and homozygous iRhom2(Uncv) littermates at postnatal day 5, proteomic approaches, including two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry were used. Twelve proteins were differentially expressed in the skin in a comparison between wild-type and homozygous iRhom2(Uncv) mice. A selection of the proteomic results were tested and verified using qRT-PCR, western blot and immunohistochemistry. These data indicate that differentially expressed proteins, especially KRT73, MEMO1 and Coro-1, might participate in the mechanism by which iRhom2 regulates the development of murine skin.