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J. Lipid Res.
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Originally published In Press as doi:10.1194/jlr.R800039-JLR200 on October 31, 2008

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Journal of Lipid Research, Vol. 50, S417-S422, April 2009
Copyright © 2009 by American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Lipids in Health and Disease

The outer frontier: the importance of lipid metabolism in the skin

Kenneth R. Feingold1

Metabolism Section, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94121

These studies were supported by National Institutes of Health Grants AR-39448, AR-049932, and HD-29706 and by the Medical Research Service, Department of Veterans Affairs.

Published, JLR Papers in Press, October 31, 2008.

1 To whom correspondence should be addressed. e-mail: kenneth.feingold{at}ucsf.edu


ABSTRACT

The skin serves the vital function of providing a barrier between the hostile external environment and the host. While the skin has many important barrier functions, the two that are absolutely essential for survival are the barrier to the movement of water and electrolytes (permeability barrier) and the barrier against invasive and toxic microorganisms (antimicrobial barrier). Lipids play an essential role in the formation and maintenance of both the permeability and antimicrobial barriers. A hydrophobic extracellular lipid matrix in the stratum corneum composed primarily of ceramides, cholesterol, and free fatty acids provides the barrier to the movement of water and electrolytes. A variety of lipids, such as fatty alcohols, monoglycerides, sphingolipids, phospholipids, and in particular free fatty acids, have antimicrobial activity and contribute to the antimicrobial barrier. In addition to these essential functions, we will also review the ability of skin surface cholesterol to reflect alterations in systemic lipid metabolism and the risk of atherosclerosis.

Supplementary key words permeability barrier • infection • stratum corneum • lamellar body • cholesterol • fatty acid • ceramides • atherosclerosis

Abbreviations: ABCA12, ATP binding cassette transporter family A12; SC, stratum corneum; sPLA2, secretory phospholipase A2


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Related Webpages:

JLR 50th Anniversary Collections
Anniversary Collection:: Lipids in Health and Disease



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