The dermal ECM is synthesized from fibroblasts and is primarily compromised of
fibrillar collagen and elastic fibers, which support the mechanical strength and resiliency of skin, respectively.
Laminin, a major
glycoprotein located in the basement membrane, promotes cell adhesion, cell growth, differentiation, and migration. The
laminin tyrosine-
isoleucine-
glycine-
serine-
arginine (
YIGSR)
peptide, corresponding to the 929-933 sequence of the β1 chain, is known to be a functional motif with effects on the inhibition of
tumor metastasis, the regulation of sensory axonal response and the inhibition of angiogenesis through high affinity to the 67kDa
laminin receptor. In this study, we identified a novel function of the
YIGSR peptide to enhance
collagen synthesis in human dermal fibroblasts. To elucidate this novel function regarding
collagen synthesis, we treated human dermal fibroblasts with
YIGSR peptide in both a time- and dose-dependent manner. According to subsequent experiments, we found that the
YIGSR peptide strongly enhanced
collagen type 1 synthesis without changing cell proliferation or cellular MMP-1 level. This
YIGSR peptide-mediated
collagen type 1 synthesis was modulated by FAK inhibitor and
MEK inhibitor. This study clearly reveals that
YIGSR peptide plays a novel function on the
collagen type 1 synthesis of dermal fibroblasts and also suggests that
YIGSR is a strong candidate
peptide for the treatment of skin aging and wrinkles.