TLDR The study found 65 intermediate filament genes, including new keratins, and suggested updating keratin naming.
The study screened the draft sequence of the human genome for genes encoding intermediate filament (IF) proteins, focusing on keratins. It identified 65 IF genes, making it one of the 100 largest gene families in humans. Seven novel type II keratins were found, likely expressed in hair follicles/epidermal appendages. All functional keratin genes were mapped to known clusters on chromosomes 12 and 17, while other IF genes were not clustered. Of 208 keratin-related sequences, only 49 were true keratin genes, with most being inactive fragments or pseudogenes, particularly related to keratins 8 and 18. The study highlighted the uneven distribution of pseudogenes in the IF family and suggested extending the existing keratin nomenclature to include novel keratins.
41 citations
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January 2001 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” 77 citations
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March 2000 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” The research identified six functional hair keratin genes and four pseudogenes, providing insights into hair formation and gene organization.
235 citations
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July 1999 in “Journal of biological chemistry/The Journal of biological chemistry” Human hair is made up of different keratins, some strong and some weak, with specific types appearing at various stages of hair growth.
141 citations
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February 1988 in “Molecular and Cellular Biology” Only one K16 gene on chromosome 17 makes a functional keratin protein.
February 2025 in “Animals” Understanding proteins in skin structures like claws and hair is crucial for future research.
199 citations
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January 2004 in “The International Journal of Developmental Biology” Hair follicle growth and development are controlled by specific genes and molecular signals.
Human hair keratins can self-assemble and support cell growth, useful for biomedical applications.
93 citations
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July 2006 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” K25, K27, and K28 are found in all inner root sheath layers of hair, while K26 is only in the cuticle.
December 2023 in “The journal of physical chemistry. B (1997 : Online)” Human hair keratin might be good for filtering out harmful substances from water.
