Role of FGFR2b expression and signaling in keratinocyte differentiation: sequential involvement of PKCδ and PKCα

The tumor suppressor epithelial isoform of the fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2b) induces human keratinocyte early differentiation. Moreover, protein kinases C (PKCs) are known to regulate the differentiation program in several cellular contexts, including keratinocytes. Therefore, in this paper we propose to clarify if FGFR2b could play a role also in the late steps of keratinocyte differentiation and to assess if this receptor-induced process would sequentially involve PKCδ and PKCα isoforms. Immunofluorescence, biochemical, and molecular approaches, performed on 2D cultures or 3D organotypic rafts of human keratinocytes overexpressing FGFR2b by stable transduction, showed that receptor signaling induced the precocious onset and an accelerated progression of keratinocyte differentiation, indicating that FGFR2b is a crucial regulator of the entire program of keratinocyte differentiation. In addition, the use of specific inhibitors and gene silencing approaches through specific siRNA demonstrated that PKCδ controls the onset of FGFR2b-triggered differentiation, while PKCα plays a role restricted to the terminal stages of the process. Molecular analysis revealed that the two PKC isoforms sequentially act via induction of KLF4 and DLX3, two transcription factors linked by negative loops to p63, suggesting that p63 would represent the hub molecule at the crossroad of an intricate signaling network downstream FGFR2b, involving multiple PKC-induced transcription factors.