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Generation of Integration-free Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Using Hair-derived Keratinocytes
Published on: August 20, 2015
Embryonic expression of the human 40-kD keratin: evidence from a processed pseudogene sequence
E S Savtchenko1, T A Schiff, C K Jiang
1Department of Dermatology, New York University Medical Center, NY 10016.
American Journal of Human Genetics
|November 1, 1988
Summary
Human embryos express keratins K8, K18, and K19 during early development. Analysis of processed pseudogenes provides evidence for the expression of these key cytoskeletal proteins in early human embryogenesis.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Molecular Biology
- Genomics
Background:
- Murine embryos express keratins K8 and K18 at the 4-8 cell stage.
- Human data on early embryonic keratin expression is lacking.
- Processed pseudogenes suggest gene expression in germ cells.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the expression of keratins K8, K18, and K19 in early human embryos.
- To determine if human K8 and K18 pseudogenes indicate embryonic expression.
- To analyze a novel keratin K19 pseudogene to infer its functional role.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of cytoskeletal components in murine embryos.
- Bioinformatic analysis of human genome for keratin pseudogenes.
- Cloning and sequencing of a human keratin K19 processed pseudogene.
- Comparative sequence analysis with known mammalian keratins.
Main Results:
- Human K8 and K18 processed pseudogenes suggest their expression in early human embryos.
- A novel processed pseudogene for keratin K19 was identified and sequenced.
- Sequence comparison indicates the K19 pseudogene originated from a functional K19 gene.
Conclusions:
- Keratins K8, K18, and K19 are likely expressed in early human embryos.
- Keratin K19 may play a role in balancing basic keratins during human embryogenesis.
- The findings provide evidence for the functional importance of K19 in early development.
