Metastasis is one of hallmarks of cancer and a major cause of cancer death. Combatting metastasis is highly challenging. To overcome these difficulties, researchers have focused on physical properties of metastatic cancer cells. Metastatic cancer cells from patients are softer than benign cancer or normal cells. Changes of viscoelasticity of cancer cells are related to the keratin network. Unex...

The genomic database for a marsupial, the opossum Monodelphis domestica, is highly advanced. This allowed a complete analysis of the keratin I and keratin II gene cluster with some 30 genes in each cluster as well as a comparison with the human keratin clusters. Human and marsupial keratin gene clusters have an astonishingly similar organization. As placental mammals and marsupials are sister g...

Plasticity of the resilient keratin intermediate filament cytoskeleton is an important prerequisite for epithelial tissue homeostasis. Here, the contribution of stress-activated p38 MAPK to keratin network organization was examined in cultured cells. It was observed that phosphorylated p38 colocalized with keratin granules that were rapidly formed in response to orthovanadate. The same p38(p) r...

The synthesis of keratin proteins during development of the embryonic chick feather was studied by quantitative gel electrophoresis of the reduced and carboxymethylated proteins. The results demonstrated a coordinated synthesis of the major keratin proteins, during and after the onset of keratin synthesis. The results from gel electrophoresis correlated well with electron microscope visualizati...

Differentiation of the epidermis during embryonic rabbit development was found to be accompanied by dramatic changes in keratin proteins. Immunofluorescent labeling with keratin antiserum revealed that the undifferentiated epithelium of 12-d embryos was already committed to making keratin proteins. At 18 d of embryogenesis, the epithelium contained keratin proteins in the molecular weight range...

Keratins are major components of the epithelial cytoskeleton and are believed to play a vital role for mechanical integrity at the cellular and tissue level. Keratinocytes as the main cell type of the epidermis express a differentiation-specific set of type I and type II keratins forming a stable network and are major contributors of keratinocyte mechanical properties. However, owing to compens...

The cytoskeleton is a dynamic scaffolding maintaining cell stability and motility. Keratin filaments form cytoskeletal networks in the cytoplasm of epithelial cells. Genetic mutations of keratin genes have been implicated in human skin diseases, such as epidermolysis bullosa simplex. Keratin network organization is severely impaired in these instances resulting in the formation of prominent gra...

By immunomorphology, using keratin 17-specific monoclonal antibody, it has been shown that this keratin is expressed only in the basal cells of a group of complex epithelia: glandular epithelium with myoepithelial component, transitional and pseudostratified epithelia. Immunolocalization of keratin 17 provides evidence that the expression of this keratin strongly depends on the cell position wi...

Pulverized cornified epithelium of human skin was divided into a "soluble fraction" and a "residue." About half of the "soluble fraction" proved to be soluble epidermal keratin (keratin A); the remainder, dialyzable substances of low molecular weight. The "residue" contained epidermal keratin and resistant cell membranes of cornified cells. Epidermal keratin was found to form an oriented and de...

Human hair keratin films were used in order to examine the e#ects of reducing and oxidizing agents. Thioglycolic acid and sodium bromate were employed as reducing and oxidizing agents, respectively. The white and opaque appearance of the keratin films turned transparent as the concentration of thioglycolic acid increased. However, when followed by the oxidizing treatment, the keratin films retu...