Keratin 84 (KRT84)

KRT84 is a member of the keratin gene family. As a type II hair keratin, it is a basic protein which heterodimerizes with type I keratins to form hair and nails. The type II hair keratins are clustered in a region of chromosome 12q13 and are grouped into two distinct subfamilies based on structure similarity. One subfamily, consisting of KRTHB1, KRTHB3, and KRTHB6, is highly related. The other less-related subfamily includes KRTHB2, KRTHB4, and KRTHB5. All hair keratins are expressed in the hair follicle; this hair keratin is contained primarily in the filiform tongue papilla, among other hair keratins. Heid et al. (1986) identified 8 hair keratins. One hair keratin, which they named HB4, had a molecular mass of 58 kD and an isoelectric point of 6.3 to 6.45.