Expression of the Intermediate Filament Keratin Gene K15 in the Basal Cell Layers of Epithelia and the Hair Follicle
November 1998
in “
Experimental Cell Research
”
TLDR K15 gene is mainly active in the basal layers of hair follicles and epithelia, aiding early skin cell development.
The study focused on the expression of the keratin gene K15 in sheep and mice, particularly in hair follicles and various epithelia. K15 was found to be expressed in the basal layer of the outer root sheath throughout the hair cycle, except in certain stem cell regions of large wool follicles. In the follicle bulb, K15 was expressed near the dermal papilla but not in inner bulb cells. In the epidermis and sebaceous glands, K15 showed low, variable expression. In sheep esophagus, K15 was restricted to the basal layer, unlike in humans. Transgenic mice with a sheep K15 gene construct showed consistent expression without phenotypic changes, indicating K15's role in early keratinocyte differentiation.
