Comparison of P18 mouse epidermis from K5-FGFR1/FGFR2 knockout and wild-type mice

Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) are master regulators of organogenesis and tissue homeostasis. We generated FGF receptor (FGFR)-deficient mice to unravel their functions in the skin. These mice revealed interesting phenotypic abnormalities, including loss of skin appendages, cutaneous inflammation, keratinocyte hyperproliferation, and acanthosis. To gain insight into the underlying molecular mechanisms, we wanted to identify genes, which are differentially expressed in the skin of wild-type and mutant mice before the onset of phenotypic alterations. RNA from epidermis of K5-FGFR1/FGFR2 knockout mice and wild-type littermates at postnatal day 18 was isolated. The epidermis was separated from underlying dermis by dispase treatment, according to the isolation protocol of Chomczynski P (1987), and immediately frozen in liquid nitrogen. Samples from three mice per genotype were pooled and subjected to Affymetrix microarray hybridization (N=3 pools per genotype).