Fibrillin-1, an extracellular matrix (ECM) protein encoded by the FBN1 gene, serves as a microfibril scaffold crucial for elastic fiber formation and homeostasis in pliable tissue such as the skin. Aside from causing Marfan syndrome, some mutations in FBN1 result in scleroderma, marked by hardened and thicker skin which limits joint mobility. Here, we describe a tight skin phenotype in the Fbn1G234D/G234D mice carrying a corresponding variant of FBN1 in the hybrid1 domain that was identified in a patient with familial aortic dissection. Unlike scleroderma, skin thickness and collagen fiber abundance do not change in the Fbn1G234D/G234D mutant skin. Instead, increased collagen cross-links were observed. In addition, short elastic fibers were sparsely located underneath the panniculus muscle layer, and an abundance of thin, aberrant elastic fibers was increased within the subcutaneous fascia, which may have tightened skin attachment to the underlying skeletal muscle. Structurally, Fbn1G234D/G234D microfibrils have a disrupted shoulder region that shares similarities with hybrid1 deletion mutant microfibrils. We then demonstrate the consequence of fibrillin-1 G234D mutation on dermal fibroblast functions. Mutant primary fibroblasts produce fewer elastic fibers, exhibit slower migration and increased cell stiffness. Moreover, secretome from mutant fibroblasts are marked by enhanced secretion of ECM, ECM-modifying enzymes, proteoglycans and cytokines, which are pro-tissue repair/fibrogenic. The transcriptome of mutant fibroblasts displays an increased expression of myogenic developmental and immune-related genes. Our study proposes that imbalanced ECM homeostasis due to a fibrillin-1 G234Dmutation impacts fibroblast properties with potential ramifications on skin function.
Keywords: collagen cross-linking; elastic fibers; extracellular matrix; fascia; fibrillin-1; fibroblasts; tight skin.
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