Reduction of Lysyl Hydroxylase 3 Causes Deleterious Changes in the Deposition and Organization of Extracellular Matrix

Abstract

Lysyl hydroxylase 3 (LH3) is a multifunctional enzyme possessing lysyl hydroxylase, collagen galactosyltransferase, and glucosyltransferase (GGT) activities. We report here an important role for LH3 in the organization of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and cytoskeleton. Deposition of ECM was affected in heterozygous LH3 knock-out mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEF(+/-)) and in skin fibroblasts collected from a member of a Finnish epidermolysis bullosa simplex (EBS) family known to be deficient in GGT activity. We show the GGT deficiency to be due to a transcriptional defect in one LH3 allele. The ECM abnormalities also lead to defects in the arrangement of the cytoskeleton in both cell lines. ..