Abstract
Epithelial keratinization involves complex cellular modifications that provide protection against pathogens and chemical and mechanical injuries. In the oral cavity, keratinized mucosa is also crucial to maintain healthy periodontal or peri-implant tissues. In this study, we investigated the roles of type XVIII collagen, a collagen-glycosaminoglycan featuring an extracellular matrix component present in the basement membrane, in oral mucosal keratinization. Histological analysis of keratinized and non-keratinized oral mucosa showed that type XVIII collagen was highly expressed in keratinized mucosa. Additionally, a 3D culture system using human squamous carcinoma cells (TR146) was used to evaluate and correlate the changes in the expression of type XVIII collagen gene, COL18A1, and epithelial keratinization-related markers, e.g., keratin 1 (KRT1) and 10 (KRT10). The results showed that the increase in COL18A1 expression followed the increase in KRT1 and KRT10 mRNA levels. Additionally, loss-of-function analyses using silencing RNA targeting COL18A1 mRNA and a Col18-knockout (KO) mouse revealed that the absence of type XVIII collagen induces a dramatic decrease in KRT10 expression as well as in the number and size of keratohyalin granules. Together, the results of this study demonstrate the importance of type XVIII collagen in oral mucosal keratinization.
Highlights
In the oral cavity, the mucous membrane lining the inside of the mouth has protective and absorptive functions and assists the functional activities of the oral cavity, such as speaking, chewing, and swallowing
The expression of type XVIII collagen was investigated by immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis of basement membrane (BM) in palatal and buccal mucosa
Epithelial keratinization is an important barrier against pathogens and mechanical stress
Summary
The mucous membrane lining the inside of the mouth (oral mucosa) has protective and absorptive functions and assists the functional activities of the oral cavity, such as speaking, chewing, and swallowing. The oral mucosa shows specific structures and features to perform diverse functions at each particular position inside the oral cavity [1,2]. The oral mucosa can be divided into three main categories based on its function and histological characteristics, namely: lining mucosa (non-keratinized stratified squamous epithelium), masticatory mucosa (keratinized stratified squamous epithelium), and specialized mucosa ( in the regions of the taste buds on lingual papillae) [3]. In many studies on oral health condition, the effectiveness of dental treatments, or prevention of oral diseases, researchers are highly concerned about the quality of the keratinized mucosa [5,6,7]. Keratinized mucosa without inflammation and with adequate height and width can give the clinicians an optimistic prognosis of the dental treatment, related for instance, to the risk of gingival recession or implant exposure [5,8]
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