Keratin 20 helps maintain intermediate filament organization in intestinal epithelia.

ABSTRACT: Of the >20 epithelial keratins, keratin 20 (K20) has an unusual distribution and is poorly studied. We began to address K20 function, by expressing human wild-type and Arg80-->His (R80H) genomic (18 kb) and cDNA K20 in cells and mice. Arg80 of K20 is conserved in most keratins, and its mutation in epidermal keratins causes several skin diseases. R80H but not wild-type K20 generates disrupted keratin filaments in transfected cells. Transgenic mice that overexpress K20 R80H have collapsed filaments in small intestinal villus regions, when expressed at moderate levels, whereas wild-type K20-overexpressing mice have normal keratin networks. Overexpressed K20 maintains its normal distribution in several tissues, but not in the pancreas and stomach, without causing any tissue abnormalities. Henc

SUBMITTER: Zhou Q 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC165690 | biostudies-literature | 2003 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature