Keratin, type II cytoskeletal 5 (KRT5)

Keratin, type II cytoskeletal 5 (KRT5), is a type II intermediate filament protein that forms heterodimers with keratin 14 to build the cytoskeletal scaffold of basal epithelial cells, primarily in the epidermis. Its structural role endows epithelial tissues with resilience against mechanical stress and anchors basal cells to each other and to the basement membrane. KRT5 is essential for skin integrity, normal pigmentation via interaction with melanocytes, and maintaining the proliferation potential of basal epithelial cells. Genetic mutations in KRT5 cause heritable disorders such as various forms of epidermolysis bullosa simplex and Dowling-Degos disease, and its expression serves as a key biomarker in distinguishing basal-like and squamous phenotypes in multiple cancers, particularly breast and lung cancer. To date, there are no drugs that directly target keratin 5, but its dysregulation or mutation results in diverse clinical pathologies and its detection aids in disease diagnosis and prognosis[1][2][3][4][5].

Other names

K5CK5CK-5KRT5ACytokeratin-558 kDa cytokeratinType-II keratin Kb5DDDDDD1EBS1EBS2EBS2AEBS2BEBS2CEBS2DEBS2EEBS2Fepidermolysis bullosa simplex 2 Dowling-Meara/Kobner/Weber-Cockayne typesK2C5_HUMAN[1][3][4][5]