Abstract
A novel experimental approach combining high-resolution cryoelectron microscopy of vitreous tissue section (CEMOVIS) defocus series with electron microscopy simulation was employed to show that the stratum corneum lipid matrix is organized as stacked bilayers of fully extended ceramides with cholesterol molecules associated with the ceramide sphingoid moiety. The new knowledge may serve as a molecular platform for in silico approaches to identify molecules for enhancing skin penetration for percutaneous drug delivery as well as for tightening a leaking barrier in dry skin conditions.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsReferences
Al-Amoudi A, Dubochet J, Norlén L (2005) Nanostructure of the epidermal extracellular space as observed by cryo-electron microscopy of vitreous sections of human skin. J Invest Dermatol 124:764–777
Breathnach AS, Goodman T, Stolinski C, Gross M (1973) Freeze fracture replication of cells of stratum corneum of human epidermis. J Anat 114:65–81
Elias PM, Friend DS (1975) The permeability barrier in mammalian epidermis. J Cell Biol 65:180–191
Iwai I, Han H, den Hollander L, Svensson S, Öfverstedt LG, Anwar J, Brewer J, Bloksgaard Mølgaard M, Laloeuf A, Nosek D, Masich S, Bagatolli L, Skoglund U, Norlén L (2012) The human skin barrier is organized as stacked bilayers of fully-extended ceramides with cholesterol molecules associated with the ceramide sphingoid moiety. J Invest Dermatol 132:2215–2225. doi:10.1038/jid.2012.43
Masukawa Y, Narita H, Sato H, Naoe A, Kondo N, Sugai Y, Oba T, Homma R, Ishikawa J, Tagaki Y, Kitahara T (2009) Comprehensive quantification of ceramide species in human stratum corneum. J Lipid Res 50:1708–1719
Norlén L (2001a) Skin barrier formation: the membrane folding model. J Invest Dermatol 117(4):823–829
Norlén L (2001b) Skin barrier structure and function: the single gel-phase model. J Invest Dermatol 117(4):830–836
Norlén, L (2012) Skin Lipids. In Gordon C. K. Roberts (ed.) Encyclopedia of Biophysics, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, Vol 5, pp. 2368–2373
Norlén L, Al-Amoudi A, Dubochet J (2003) A cryo-transmission electron microscopy study of skin barrier formation. J Invest Dermatol 120:555–560
Norlén L, Öktem O, Skoglund U (2009) Molecular cryo-electron tomography of vitreous tissue sections: current challenges. J Microsc 235:293–307
Wertz P, Norlén L (2003) “Confidence intervals” for the “true” lipid compositions of the human skin barrier? In: Forslind B, Lindberg M (eds) Skin, hair, and nails. Structure and function. Marcel Dekker Inc, New York, pp 85–106, Biochim Biophys Acta 304:265–275
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2015 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Norlén, L. (2015). Molecular Structure and Function of the Skin Barrier. In: Dragicevic, N., Maibach, H. (eds) Percutaneous Penetration Enhancers Chemical Methods in Penetration Enhancement. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-45013-0_4
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-45013-0_4
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-662-45012-3
Online ISBN: 978-3-662-45013-0
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)