Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase 4 subtypes are differentially expressed by primary keratinocytes and human epidermoid cell lines

Cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase (PDE) type 4 has been the subject of considerable interest as a potential molecular target for treating cutaneous inflammatory and allergic disorders; however, little is known regarding the expression of PDE 4 isogenes in human keratinocytes, the predominant cell type present in the epidermis. In this study, we investigated the expression of PDE 4 subtypes in epidermal cells (primary keratinocytes derived from breast skin, epidermoid cell lines A431, KB, and HaCaT) using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Analysis of the amplified cDNA showed that there were differences in the expression of PDE 4 isogenes in the epidermal cells. Constitutive expression of the PDE 4 isozymes was detected in untreated epidermal cells at different levels. Transcripts for PDE 4B and 4D were abundantly expressed in breast skin-derived keratinocytes, whereas transcripts for PDE 4A, 4C, and 4D were present in HaCaT cells and transcripts for all the PDE 4 isotypes were present in A431 and KB, PDE 4A and 4C were detectable in HaCaT cells in equal amounts, but PDE 4C was only marginally expressed in the other cells. Of the four isogenes, PDE 4D was abundantly expressed in all the cells. Elevation of intracellular levels of cAMP by forskolin increased the expression of all the hPDE 4 isogenes 2-3-fold as revealed by semiquantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Western blot analysis of extracts from control and forskolin or dibutyryl cAMP-treated A431 and KB cells demonstrated the presence of proteins with a molecular mass identical to that corresponding to recombinant human PDE 4B. Together, these findings show that PDE 4 isogenes are expressed in keratinocytes to a different degree and that their expression can be modulated by intracellular levels of cAMP.