Coiled Coil Alpha Helical Rod Protein 1 (CCHCR1)

The HCR gene encodes a protein of 757 amino acids. RT-PCR analysis showed that HCR was expressed at variable levels in all human tissues tested, more abundantly in heart, liver, skeletal muscle, kidney, and pancreas, and less so in lung and placenta.

In genetically engineered mice, certain CCHCR1 polymorphisms cause upregulation of the expression of KRT6A, KRT16, KRT17 and change in expression in other genes associated with terminal differentiation and formation of the cornified cell envelope. These CCHCR1 polymorphisms may therefore be associated with a susceptibility to psoriasis. Defective functioning of CCHCR1 may lead to abnormal keratinocyte proliferation which is a key feature of psoriasis.