The ultrastructural architecture of <i>Spink5</i>^<i>-/-</i> epidermis is normalized by <i>Klk5</i> knockout.

<p>(<b>A</b>) Immunostaining on skin section shows restored Dsg1 in <i>Spink5</i>^<i>-/-</i><i>Klk5</i>^<i>-/-</i> compared to <i>Spink5</i>^<i>-/-</i> consistent with diminished pathological proteolysis observed in <a href="http://www.plosgenetics.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pgen.1005389#pgen.1005389.g003" target="_blank">Fig 3</a>, <u>scale bar: 25μm</u> (<b>B</b>) Immunostaining on skin section shows partial restoration of Dsc1 in <i>Spink5</i>^<i>-/-</i><i>Klk5</i>^<i>-/-</i> compared to <i>Spink5</i>^<i>-/-</i>, <u>scale bar: 25μm</u>. (<b>C</b>) Transmission electron micrographs of skin ultrasections from: wt (<b>C1-2</b>), <i>Spink5</i>^<i>-/-</i> (<b>D1-3</b>), <i>Klk5</i>^<i>-/-</i> (<b>E1-3</b>), and <i>Spink5</i>^<i>-/-</i><i>Klk5</i>^<i>-/-</i> (<b>F1-3</b>) mice. Nuclei (depicted with star in <b>D2</b>) present in the <i>stratum corneum</i> of <i>Spink5</i>^<i>-/-</i> denote incomplete differentiation (parakeratosis). Separation of desmosomes in <i>Spink5</i>^<i>-/-</i> is evident, <u>as indicated by arrows</u> (<b>D3</b>). Of note, also the well-organized compact desmosomes in <i>Klk5</i>^<i>-/-</i> and <i>Spink5</i>^<i>-/-</i><i>Klk5</i>^<i>-/-</i> skin sections (<b>E2-3, F3</b>).