Just before birth, skin becomes able to retain body water, so understanding the newly discovered gene behind that process may one day help premature human infants survive.

Roop, D. 1995. Defects in the barrier. Science 267(Jan. 27):474.

Segre, J.A., C. Bauer, and E. Fuchs. 1999. Klf4 is a transcription factor required for establishing the barrier function of the skin. Nature Genetics 22(August):356.

Christoph Bauer
University of Chicago
Department of Molecular Genetics
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Chicago, IL 60637

Elaine Fuchs
University of Chicago
Department of Molecular Genetics
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Chicago, IL 60637

Dennis Roop
Baylor College of Medicine
Departments of Cell Biology and Dermatology
Houston, TX 77030

Julia A. Segre
University of Chicago
Department of Molecular Genetics
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Chicago, IL 60637

From Science News, Vol. 156, No. 8, August 21, 1999, p. 117. Copyright © 1999, Science Service.