Cytokeratins comprise a diverse group of intermediate filament proteins (IFPs) that are expressed as pairs in both keratinized and non-keratinized epithelial tissue. Cytokeratins constitute up to 85% of a mature keratinocytes in the vertebrate epidermis. Cytokeratins play a critical role in differentiation and tissue specialization, and they function to maintain the overall structural integrity of epithelial cells. The alpha-helical coiled-coil dimers associate laterally end-to-end to form 10-nm diameter filaments. Cytokeratins are useful markers of tissue differentiation, and they aid in the characterization of malignant tumors. Cytokeratin 1 is highly expressed in several malignancies including epithelioid hemangioendohtheliomas, angiosarcomas, schwannomas, epithelioid sarcomas and synodal sarcomas. The gene encoding human Cytokeratin 1 maps to chromosome 12q13.13. Mutations in the gene encoding human Cytokeratin 1 lead to abnormal filament associations and epidermolytic hyperkeratosis.
