Recurrent functional divergence of early tetrapod keratins in amphibian toe pads and mammalian hair.

ABSTRACT: Amphibians have invaded arboreal habitats multiple times independently during their evolution. Adaptation to these habitats was nearly always accompanied by the presence or appearance of toe pads, flattened enlargements on tips of fingers and toes that provide adhesive power in these environments. The strength and elasticity of the toe pad relies on polygonal arrayed cells ending in nanoscale projections, which are densely packed with cytoskeletal proteins. Here, we characterized and determined the evolutionary origin of these proteins in the toe pad of the tree frog Hyla cinerea. We created a subtracted cDNA library enriching genes that are expressed in the toe pad, but nowhere else in the toe. Our analyses revealed five alpha keratins as main structural proteins of the amphibian toe pad.

SUBMITTER: Vandebergh W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3645037 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature