IntechOpen Book Series Biochemistry Volume 2

Miroslav Blumenberg, PhD., was born in Subotica and received his BSc in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. He completed his PhD at MIT in organic chemistry; this he followed up with two postdoctoral study periods at Stanford University. Since 1983, he has been a faculty member of the RO Perelman Department of Dermatology, NYU School of Medicine, where he is a co-director of a training grant in cutaneous biology. Dr Blumenberg's research

is focused on the epidermis, expression of keratin genes, transcription profiling, keratinocyte differentiation, inflammatory diseases and cancers, and most recently, the effects of the microbiome on skin. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed research articles and graduated numerous PhD and post-doctoral students. Dr Blumenberg lives in New York, USA, with his wife and two children.

**Book Series Editor and Editor of Volume 2: Dr. Miroslav Blumenberg** NYU School of Medicine, USA

## Scope of the Series

Scope of the Series: Biochemistry, the study of chemical transformations occurring within living organisms, impacts all of life sciences, from molecular crystallography and genetics, to ecology, medicine and population biology. Biochemistry studies macromolecules - proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates and lipids –their building blocks, structures, functions and interactions. Much of biochemistry is devoted to enzymes, proteins that catalyze chemical reactions, enzyme structures, mechanisms of action and their roles within cells. Biochemistry also studies small signaling molecules, coenzymes, inhibitors, vitamins and hormones, which play roles in the life process. Biochemical experimentation, besides coopting the methods of classical chemistry, e.g., chromatography, adopted new techniques, e.g., X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, NMR, radioisotopes, and developed sophisticated microbial genetic tools, e.g., auxotroph mutants and their revertants, fermentation etc. More recently, biochemistry embraced the 'big data' omics systems.Initial biochemical studies have been exclusively analytic: dissecting, purifying and examining individual components of a biological system; in exemplary words of Efraim Racker, (1913 –1991) "Don't waste clean thinking on dirty enzymes." Today however, biochemistry is becoming more agglomerative and comprehensive, setting out to integrate and describe fully a particular biological system. The 'big data' metabolomics can define the complement of small molecules, e.g., in a soil or biofilm sample; proteomics can distinguish all the proteins comprising e.g., serum; metagenomics can identify all the genes in a complex environment e.g., bovine rumen. This Biochemistry Series will address both the current research on biomolecules, and the emerging trends with great promise. Contents

**Preface VII**

**Section 2 Human Skin Keratins 9**

Mayumi Komine

**Human Skin 45**

Ling-juan Zhang

Chapter 1 **Introductory Chapter: Keratins - What to Do with Too Much?**

Chapter 2 **Regulation of Expression of Keratins and their Pathogenic**

Chapter 3 **Glucocorticoid Receptor Signaling in Skin Barrier Function 23**

Chapter 5 **Keratins in Skin Epidermal Development and Diseases 65**

**What to Do with Too Little? 3** Miroslav Blumenberg and Sidra Younis

**Roles in Keratinopathies 11**

Lisa M. Sevilla and Paloma Pérez

Yuval Ramot and Ralf Paus

**Section 3 Physical and Chemical Characteristics 83**

Chapter 6 **Shape Memory Effect of Keratin Fibers 85** Xueliang Xiao and Jin-lian Hu

Chapter 4 **Neuroendocrine Controls of Keratin Expression in**

**Section 1 Introduction 1**
