LCE7A encodes a precursor protein of the cornified envelope in the stratum corneum, the outermost layer of the epidermis. Based on limited published evidence, LCE7A is part of the Epidermal Differentiation Complex and contributes to the mammalian skin barrier. Unlike most late-cornified envelope genes, LCE7A has been conserved during cetacean evolution, suggesting its particular importance in epidermal function 1.