Lipids in the American Alligator stratum corneum provide insights into the evolution of vertebrate skin

Abstract

In terrestrial vertebrates, the outermost layer of the skin, the stratum corneum (SC), provides a durable and flexible interface with the environment and is comprised of corneocytes embedded in lipids. However, the morphology and lipid composition of the SC varies throughout evolutionary history. Because crocodilians and birds phylogenetically bracket the Archosaurian clade, lipid composition in crocodilian SC may be compared with that of birds and other vertebrates to make inferences about broader phylogenetic patterns within Archosaurs while highlighting adaptations in vertebrate skin. We identified and quantified lipid classes in the SC of the American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) from three skin regions varying in mobility. Our results find similarities in lipid composition between alligator and avian SC, including a high percentage of cerebrosides, a polar lipid previously found only in the SC of birds and bats. Furthermore, polar lipids were more abundant in the most mobile region of the SC. Because polar lipids bind with water to increase skin hydration and therefore its pliability under physical stress, we hypothesize that selection for lipids in Archosaurian SC was driven by the unique distribution of proteins in the SC of this clade, and cerebrosides may have served as pre-adaptations for flight.