Keratin Cytoskeletons in Epithelial Cells of Internal Organs

    June 1979 in “ Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ”
    Tung‐Tien Sun, Chiaho Shih, Howard Green
    TLDR Keratins provide structural strength in epithelial cells and help identify cell origins.
    The study used an antiserum against human epidermal keratins to detect keratins in various rabbit and human tissues through indirect immunofluorescence. Strong keratin staining was observed in stratified squamous epithelia, epidermal appendages, and certain epithelial cells of the intestinal, urinary, female genital, and respiratory tracts, as well as in the fine ductal system of the pancreas and submaxillary gland. No staining occurred in fibroblasts, muscle, cartilage, blood vessels, nerve tissue, or kidney cells. The findings indicated that keratins form a cytoskeleton in epithelial cells, providing structural strength, and that keratin staining can help determine the origin of cell lines.
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