¹Department of Dermatology and Charles C. Gates Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Biology Program, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado, USA

Correspondence: Dr Maranke I. Koster, Department of Dermatology, Charles C. Gates Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Biology Program, University of Colorado Denver, 12800 E. 19th Avenue, Room P18-8131, P.O. Box 6511, Mail Stop 8320, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA. E-mail: Maranke.Koster@UCHSC.edu

Abstract

p63 is a transcription factor required for normal epidermal development and differentiation. Because of the complexity of these processes, p63 is expected to regulate a myriad of target genes, providing impetus to many laboratories to identify these genes. p63 target genes have been shown to encode a diverse group of proteins, including structural proteins, proteins that control cell cycle withdrawal, and proteins that regulate the epidermal differentiation program. In this issue, Antonini et al., describe a novel p63 target gene whose evolutionary conservation suggests a critical role for this gene in the epidermis.