- Keratin 6C
Keratin 6C (protein name K6C; gene name "KRT6C"), is a type II cyto
keratin , one of a number ofisoform s ofkeratin 6 encoded by separate genes located within the type II keratin gene cluster on humanchromosome 12q. This gene was uncovered recently by theHuman Genome Project and its expression patterns in humans remains unknown.Keratins
Keratins are theintermediate filament proteins that form a dense meshwork of filaments throughout thecytoplasm ofepithelial cells [Quinlan R, Hutchison C, Lane B. Intermediate filament proteins. Protein Profile. 1995;2(8):795-952] . Keratins form heteropolymers consisting of a type I and a type II keratin. Keratins are generally expressed in particular pairs of type I and type II keratin proteins in a tissue-specific andcellular differentiation -specific manner.The keratin proteins of epithelial tissues are commonly known as "keratins" or are sometimes referred to as "epithelial keratins" or "cytokeratins". The specialized keratins of
hair and nail are known as "hard keratins" or "trichocyte keratins". Trichocytes are the specialized epithelial cells from which hair and nail are composed. Trichocyte keratins are similar in their gene and protein structure to keratins except that they are especially rich in thesulfur -containingamino acid cysteine, which facilitates chemical cross-linking of the assembled hard keratins to form a more structurally resilient material.Both epithelial keratins and hard keratins can be further subdivided into type I (acidic) keratins and type II (neutral-basic) keratins. The genes for the type I keratins are located in a gene cluster on human
chromosome 17q, whereas the genes for type II keratins are located in a cluster on humanchromosome 12q (the exception being K18, a type I keratin located in the type II gene cluster).Keratin 6C
Like the closely related "KRT6A" and "KRT6B" genes, the "KRT6C" gene consists of 9
exons separated by 8introns and is located in the type II keratin gene cluster on human "chromosome" 12q.Keratin 6A andkeratin 6B are encoded by the neighbouring genes, which are identical inintron -exon organization to "KRT6C" and are more than 99% identical in theirDNA coding sequences.Genetic disorders
At the present time, no mutations have been reported in this keratin gene in relation to human genetic skin diseases.
References
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