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Effect of zinc deficiency on keratins in buccal epithelium of rats
D J Hsu1, J C Daniel, S J Gerson
1Department of Oral Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Dentistry, University of Illinois, Chicago 60612.
Abstract:
Weanling rats fed a zinc-deficient diet (less than 1 part/10(6)) for 4 weeks develop parakeratotic and hyperplastic buccal epithelium with increased mitotic activity. Normal buccal epithelium contains major keratin polypeptides of 56, 46 and 43 kDa. Four-week zinc-deficient rats lacked the 43 kDa keratin. It appears that the 46 and 43 kDa keratins are related, differing as a result of some post-translation modification. A proteolytic cleavage of the 46 kDa keratin to the 43 kDa species is the most likely mechanism. The findings point to a decrease of keratinolytic enzyme activity in the zinc-deficient rats.