Basic description
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Cytokeratins, a group comprising at least 29 different proteins are characteristic of epithelial and trichocytic cells. Cytokeratin 1, 5, 6, and 8 are members of the type II neutral-to-basic subfamily. Cytokeratin peptide 1 (68 kDa) is expressed together with cytokeratin 10 in the suprabasal cell layers or the differentiation compartment of the epidermis. Its expression increases with epidermal maturation and it is modified post-translationally in the terminally differentiated keratinocytes of the stratum corneum. Cytokeratin peptide 5 (58 kDa) is the primary type II keratin in stratified epithelia while cytokeratin type 8 (52 kDa) is a major type II keratin in simple epithelia. Cytokeratin 6 (56 kDa) is a "hyperproliferation" cytokeratin expressed in tissues with natural or pathological turnover.
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