The blistering skin disorder epidermolysis bullosa simplex (EBS) results from dominant mutations in keratin 5 (K5) or keratin 14 (K14) genes, encoding the intermediate filament (IF) network of basal epidermal keratinocytes. The mechanisms governing keratin network formation and collapse due to EBS mutations remain incompletely understood. Drosophila lacks cytoplasmic IFs, providing a 'null' env...

introduction to evaluate the expression patterns of cytokeratin (k) 12, 13, and 19 in normal epithelium of the human ocular surface to determine whether k13 could be used as a marker for conjunctival epithelium. methods: total rna was isolated from the human conjunctiva and central cornea. those transcripts that had threefolds or higher expression levels in the conjunctiva than the cornea were ...

P62 is a synthetic peptide which corresponds to the glycine/alanine repeat sequence of Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen-1. It is the main epitope recognised by anti-rheumatoid arthritis nuclear antigen antibodies. It was shown previously that anti-P62 antibodies were raised fourfold in patients with rheumatoid arthritis compared with controls. To examine the possibility that this increase was...

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are widely reported to inhibit carcinogenesis in humans and in rodents. These drugs are believed to act by inhibiting one or both of the known isoforms of cyclooxygenase (COX). However, COX-2, and not COX-1, is the isoform most frequently reported to have a key role in tumor development. Here we report that homozygous deficiency of either COX-1 or COX-2 redu...

The structure of cornified tissues, such as hair, wool, nail, and cornified epithelium of the skin, has been investigated largely by polarization optical, x-ray diffraction, or electron microscope methods. Under the polarization microscope all these tissues show a positive double refraction which is considered due to regular arrays of asymmetric keratin particles (12). X-ray diffraction studies...

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are widely reported to inhibit carcinogenesis in humans and in rodents. These drugs are believed to act by inhibiting one or both of the known isoforms of cyclooxygenase (COX). However, COX-2, and not COX-1, is the isoform most frequently reported to have a key role in tumor development. Here we report that homozygous deficiency of either COX-1 or COX-2 redu...

Actin filament and microtubule growth characteristics are defined by their different plus and minus ends. In contrast, intermediate filaments lack this type of polarity. Yet, intermediate filament network growth occurs by selective addition of newly formed and polymerizing keratin particles at peripheral network domains thereby allowing polarized network reorganization. To examine this process ...

In addition to containing microtubule and microfilament systems, vertebrate epithelial cells contain an elaborate keratin intermediate-filament cytoskeleton. Little is known about its structural organization or function. Using indirect immunofluorescence microscopy with an antikeratin antiserum probe, we found that destabilization of microtubules and microfilaments with cytostatic drugs induces...