Background | Cytokeratins are a large family of cytoskeletal proteins found in epithelial cells. They are co-ordinately synthesized in pairs so that at least one member of each family is expressed in each epithelial cell. Cytokeratins assemble into obligatory heteropolymers composed of type I (acidic) and type II (basic) polypeptides to form higher order tetramers and protofilaments. Basal cells of human epidermis express acidic keratin 14 and basic cytokeratin 5. Cytokeratin 5 is a 58 kD protein that is closely related to cytokeratin 6. Point mutations in the cytokeratin 5 gene at locus 12q11-q13 can cause various types of epidermolysis bullosa simplex. Cytokeratin 5 is also reported to be expressed in most epithelial and biphasic mesotheliomas. Clone XM26 is specific for the 58 kD intermediate filament protein known as cytokeratin 5. It is not cross-reactive with cytokeratin 6. |
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