TLDR Loss of keratin K2 causes skin problems and inflammation.
The study demonstrated that keratin K2 played a crucial role in maintaining the structural integrity of the epidermis in mice, particularly in the ear, sole, and tail skin. Deletion of K2 led to skin abnormalities such as acanthosis, hyperkeratosis, corneocyte fragility, increased transepidermal water loss, and local inflammation. Although K1 partially compensated for the loss of K2, many K2-deficient keratinocytes developed large aggregates of K10, indicating that K2 was essential for proper cytoskeletal organization. The findings highlighted that K2 was a necessary binding partner for K10, and imbalanced expression of these keratins caused aggregate formation.
186 citations,
December 2012 in “Current opinion in cell biology” Keratin proteins are increasingly recognized as important for cell health and are linked to many diseases.
109 citations,
September 2011 in “Human molecular genetics online/Human molecular genetics” New treatments targeting specific genes show promise for treating keratin disorders.
70 citations,
January 2014 in “International review of cell and molecular biology” Keratin proteins are crucial for healthy skin, but mutations can cause skin disorders with no effective treatments yet.
28 citations,
April 1996 in “Cell biology international” Changes in keratin affect skin health and can lead to skin disorders like blistering diseases and psoriasis.
Cornification is the process where living skin cells die to create a protective barrier, and problems with it can cause skin diseases.
16 citations,
September 2018 in “Scientific reports” Scientists created keratinocyte cell lines from human hair that can differentiate similarly to normal skin cells, offering a new way to study skin biology and diseases.
109 citations,
September 2011 in “Human molecular genetics online/Human molecular genetics” New treatments targeting specific genes show promise for treating keratin disorders.
