TY - JOUR TI - Epidermal cell turnover across tight junctions based on Kelvin's tetrakaidecahedron cell shape AU - Yokouchi, Mariko AU - Atsugi, Toru AU - Logtestijn, Mark van AU - Tanaka, Reiko J AU - Kajimura, Mayumi AU - Suematsu, Makoto AU - Furuse, Mikio AU - Amagai, Masayuki AU - Kubo, Akiharu A2 - Horsley, Valerie VL - 5 PY - 2016 DA - 2016/11/29 SP - e19593 C1 - eLife 2016;5:e19593 DO - 10.7554/eLife.19593 UR - https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.19593 AB - In multicellular organisms, cells adopt various shapes, from flattened sheets of endothelium to dendritic neurons, that allow the cells to function effectively. Here, we elucidated the unique shape of cells in the cornified stratified epithelia of the mammalian epidermis that allows them to achieve homeostasis of the tight junction (TJ) barrier. Using intimate in vivo 3D imaging, we found that the basic shape of TJ-bearing cells is a flattened Kelvin's tetrakaidecahedron (f-TKD), an optimal shape for filling space. In vivo live imaging further elucidated the dynamic replacement of TJs on the edges of f-TKD cells that enables the TJ-bearing cells to translocate across the TJ barrier. We propose a spatiotemporal orchestration model of f-TKD cell turnover, where in the classic context of 'form follows function', cell shape provides a fundamental basis for the barrier homeostasis and physical strength of cornified stratified epithelia. KW - epidermal barrier KW - tissue homeostasis KW - tight junction JF - eLife SN - 2050-084X PB - eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd ER -