The perming of hair is a common styling procedure with negative impact on the overall properties fibers. Usually, this process uses harsh chemicals to promote disruption disulfide bonds and formation new change shape hair. Here, we explored bovine serum albumin (BSA), silk fibroin (SF), keratin two fusion recombinant proteins (KP-UM KP-Cryst) as agents. A phosphate buffer prepared at different ...

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...

Monoclonal antibodies that specifically recognize caspase cleaved K18 fragments or specific (phospho)epitopes on intact K8 and K18 were used for a detailed investigation of the temporal and causal relationship of proteolysis and phosphorylation in the collapse of the keratin cytoskeleton during apoptosis. Caspases involved in the specific proteolysis of keratins were analyzed biochemically usin...

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...

OBJECTIVE Cell cultures provide a good model for studying lung diseases but they are difficult to reproduce and the number of cells obtained is limited. The aim of this study was to develop a way to increase the production of human bronchial epithelial cells (BEC) in primary cultures. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 12 samples (9 from surgical specimens and 3 from endoscopic biopsies) were pr...

AIMS We report two rare cases of neoplastic pseudomyxoma peritonei associated with splenic mucinous epithelial cysts and review previously reported cases of splenic mucinous lesions in order to investigate the extent and implications of such an association. METHODS AND RESULTS The majority of mucinous lesions of the spleen appear to be associated with pseudomyxoma peritonei. The clinicopathol...

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...