D healing was due to tissue injury or was already present in animals lacking TGF-?, we took advantage of a new Tgfb3 allele [33] and evaluated the proliferation and migration of Tgfb3deficient keratinocytes (Figure 7). The keratinocytes were obtained from wild type animals or animals homozygotes for an allele where a cassette with a promoterless Cre gene 25033180 replaced the coding region of the ATG containing exon 1 of the Tgfb3 gene [33]. As a consequence, only the Tgfb3 gene was knockout, leaving intact the other Tgfb isoforms. Previous studies with Tgfb3 knockout mice [13,14] reported normal cutaneous homeostasis in skin grafted on the back of nude mice, yet cell death was increased upon treatment with a tumor promoting agent [22]. We did not detect morphological differences in E17.5 skin from wild type and Tgfb3-deficient animals (Figure 7 a, b), including proliferation in the basal layer in vivo (Figure 7 c ) and BrdU incorporation in vitro in Tgfb3-deficient keratinocytes or wild type keratinocytes treated with NAB (Figure 7 l and data not shown). Sermorelin However, the level of Interferon regulatory factor 6 (Irf6), a Terlipressin web transcriptional regulator of epidermal proliferation and differentiation downstream of Tgfb3 in oral keratinocytes [28,34?6], was decreased in E17.5 skin from Tgfb3-deficient animals compared to wild type (Figure 7f). Scratch wounds performed in confluent wild type and Tgfb3-deficient keratinocyte cultures as well as wild type keratinocytes treated with NAB closed at the same rate, suggesting that TGF-b3 was not required for proper closure in vitro (Figure 7 g and data not shown). Of note, keratinocytes in vitro and keratinocytes epithelializing in vivo wounds migrated at similar speeds (1021 mm/h). Together our data indicate that keratinocytes deficient for Tgfb3 migrate properly in vitro, suggesting thatTreatment group Saline TGF-?+NAB TGF-? NABa Data from day 7 are significantly different than data from day 4 after t-test (***P,0.0001). b Data amongst treatment groups is not significantly different at either days post-wounding. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0048040.tTGFB3 and Wound HealingFigure 6. TGF-?
is required for proper keratinocyte migration and proliferation in vivo. (a) Length of the migrating tongue in the middle of the wound. (b) Speed of migration of keratinocyte in vivo was calculated (distance of the migrating tongue divided by the time). Morphometric analysis of serial histological sections was used to calculate the epidermal volume (c). Percentage of PCNA positive basal keratinocytes (d). N = 428 per group. *P,0.05, ***P,0.001. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0048040.gthe migration defect observed in vivo may be the result of a paracrine effect from the underlying dermis.TGF-? is Required for Granulation Tissue MaturationTGF-? has been proposed as a prophylactic anti-scarring agent for incisional wounds [25]. We evaluated the effect of TGF? levels on the granulation tissue maturation and overall wound size in our excisional wound model. In control groups, the wound volume decreases as healing progresses over time (Figure 8). The addition of exogenous TGF-? did not affect the wound volume compared to controls (Figure 8 a). However, the normal decrease in wound volume that occurs as healing progresses was delayed in the absence of TGF-? (Figure 8 b). A change in wound volume could be due to alteration in the width of the wound or the depth of the wound. We measured both and found a significant decrease in wound depth (Figure.D healing was due to tissue injury or was already present in animals lacking TGF-?, we took advantage of a new Tgfb3 allele [33] and evaluated the proliferation and migration of Tgfb3deficient keratinocytes (Figure 7). The keratinocytes were obtained from wild type animals or animals homozygotes for an allele where a cassette with a promoterless Cre gene 25033180 replaced the coding region of the ATG containing exon 1 of the Tgfb3 gene [33]. As a consequence, only the Tgfb3 gene was knockout, leaving intact the other Tgfb isoforms. Previous studies with Tgfb3 knockout mice [13,14] reported normal cutaneous homeostasis in skin grafted on the back of nude mice, yet cell death was increased upon treatment with a tumor promoting agent [22]. We did not detect morphological differences in E17.5 skin from wild type and Tgfb3-deficient animals (Figure 7 a, b), including proliferation in the basal layer in vivo (Figure 7 c ) and BrdU incorporation in vitro in Tgfb3-deficient keratinocytes or wild type keratinocytes treated with NAB (Figure 7 l and data not shown). However, the level of Interferon regulatory factor 6 (Irf6), a transcriptional regulator of epidermal proliferation and differentiation downstream of Tgfb3 in oral keratinocytes [28,34?6], was decreased in E17.5 skin from Tgfb3-deficient animals compared to wild type (Figure 7f). Scratch wounds performed in confluent wild type and Tgfb3-deficient keratinocyte cultures as well as wild type keratinocytes treated with NAB closed at the same rate, suggesting that TGF-b3 was not required for proper closure in vitro (Figure 7 g and data not shown). Of note, keratinocytes in vitro and keratinocytes epithelializing in vivo wounds migrated at similar speeds (1021 mm/h). Together our data indicate that keratinocytes deficient for Tgfb3 migrate properly in vitro, suggesting thatTreatment group Saline TGF-?+NAB TGF-? NABa Data from day 7 are significantly different than data from day 4 after t-test (***P,0.0001). b Data amongst treatment groups is not significantly different at either days post-wounding. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0048040.tTGFB3 and Wound HealingFigure 6. TGF-? is required for proper keratinocyte migration and proliferation in vivo. (a) Length of the migrating tongue in the middle of the wound. (b) Speed of migration of keratinocyte in vivo was calculated (distance of the migrating tongue divided by the time). Morphometric analysis of serial histological sections was used to calculate the epidermal volume (c). Percentage of PCNA positive basal keratinocytes (d). N = 428 per group. *P,0.05, ***P,0.001. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0048040.gthe migration defect observed in vivo may be the result of a paracrine effect from the underlying dermis.TGF-? is Required for Granulation Tissue MaturationTGF-? has been proposed as a prophylactic anti-scarring agent for incisional wounds [25]. We evaluated the effect of TGF? levels on the granulation tissue maturation and overall wound size in our excisional wound model. In control groups, the wound volume decreases as healing progresses over time (Figure 8). The addition of exogenous TGF-? did not affect the wound volume compared to controls (Figure 8 a). However, the normal decrease in wound volume that occurs as healing progresses was delayed in the absence of TGF-? (Figure 8 b). A change in wound volume could be due to alteration in the width of the wound or the depth of the wound. We measured both and found a significant decrease in wound depth (Figure.