Abstract
Skin wounds need to be repaired rapidly after injury to restore proper skin barrier function. Hydrogen peroxide (H
2
O
2
) is a conserved signaling factor that has been shown to promote a variety of skin wound repair processes, including immune cell migration, angiogenesis and sensory axon repair. Despite growing research on H
2
O
2
functions in wound repair, the downstream signaling pathways activated by this reactive oxygen species in the context of injury remain largely unknown. The goal of this study was to provide a comprehensive analysis of gene expression changes in the epidermis upon exposure to H
2
O
2
concentrations known to promote wound repair. Comparative transcriptome analysis using RNA-seq data from larval zebrafish and previously reported microarray data from a human epidermal keratinocyte line shows that H
2
O
2
activates conserved cell migration, adhesion, cytoprotective and anti-apoptotic programs in both zebrafish and human keratinocytes. Further assessment of expression characteristics and signaling pathways revealed the activation of three major H
2
O
2
–dependent pathways, EGF, FOXO1, and IKKα. This study expands on our current understanding of the clinical potential of low-level H
2
O
2
for the promotion of epidermal wound repair and provides potential candidates in the treatment of wound healing deficits.
