Studies Similar proteins protect the skin of humans like turtles

A working group around the molecular biologist Leopold Eckhart from the Department of Dermatology at MedUni Vienna found in a genome comparison that genes for important skin proteins already arose in a common ancestor of humans and turtles 310 million years ago. The study has now been published in the top journal "Molecular Biology and Evolution".
The shell of the turtle is a highly successful concept of evolutionary development, which differs markedly by its defensive function of other reptiles. In the context of the study, Leopold Eckhart's research team investigated those genes that are responsible for the skin layers of the European pond turtle and a species of North American turtle in order to compare them to human skin genes.

Similar structures. Image: Oleg Kozlov - fotolia

Results of this study suggest that hard shell formation was due to mutations in a gene group known as the Epidermal Differentiation Complex (EDC). Comparisons of genomic data from various reptiles suggest that the responsible EDC mutations occurred when the turtles separated from other reptiles about 250 million years ago.

Common ancestor of human and turtle
Remarkably, the basic organization of EDC genes is the same in humans and turtles. This suggests the genesis of prototypic EDC genes in a common ancestor that lived 310 million years ago and was similar to today's reptiles.

In the case of turtles, these genes evolved to produce proteins that result in significant hardening of the outermost layer of skin, increased cross-linkage, and thus the formation of a shell. In humans, EDC genes protect the skin from the entry of microbes and allergens.
This new study shows that evolutionarily related genes have a protective function in both humans and turtles. By comparing the skin of humans and animals one hopes to better understand the interactions of the proteins. The findings could lead to medical applications in the future, such as the improved treatment of psoriasis (psoriasis), in which mutations in EDC genes were found.

The study also involved: Center for Integrative Bioinformatics Vienna (CIBIV), Max F. Perutz Laboratories, University of Vienna; Vienna University of Veterinary Medicine, Tiergarten Schönbrunn and the University of Bologna. (MEDUNIWIEN)