TAF10 is required for the establishment of skin barrier function in foetal, but not in adult mouse epidermis.

TFIID, composed of the TATA box binding protein (TBP) and 13 TBP-associated factors (TAFs), plays a role in nucleating the assembly of the RNA polymerase II preinitiation complexes on protein coding genes. TAF10 (formerly TAF(II)30) is shared between TFIID and other transcription regulatory complexes (i.e. SAGA, TFTC, STAGA and PCAF/GCN5). TAF10 is an essential transcription factor during very early stages of mouse embryo development. To study the in vivo function of TAF10 in cellular differentiation and proliferation at later stages, the role of TAF10 was analysed in keratinocytes during skin development and adult epidermal homeostasis. We demonstrate that ablation of TAF10 in keratinocytes of the forming epidermis affects the expression of some, but not all genes, impairs keratinocyte terminal differentiation and alters skin permeability barrier functions. In contrast, loss of TAF10 in keratinocytes of adult epidermis did not (i) modify the expression of tested genes, (ii) affect epidermal homeostasis and (iii) impair acute response to UV irradiation or skin regeneration after wounding. Thus, this study demonstrates for the first time a differential in vivo requirement for a mammalian TAF for the regulation of gene expression depending on the cellular environment and developmental stage of the cell.