Keratin (source code)
= Keratin
<Keratin> is a family of structural <intermediate filament> <proteins> abundant in <epithelial cells>. Compatible type I and type II <keratins> assemble together into filaments, which distribute mechanical stresses across a <cell> and connect to junctional structures such as <desmosomes>. <Keratin> is therefore part of a cellular load-bearing system rather than a molecular motor. <Molecular Biology of the Cell, 4th edition by Bruce Alberts and others>[Chapter 16, Intermediate Filaments; Chapter 19, Desmosomes]{ref}
The connection to <desmosomes> explains how force can pass between neighbouring <cells> while each <cell> retains its own boundary. Hair and the outer layers of skin are familiar keratin-rich materials, but living <epithelial cells> also use <keratin> networks internally. Different <keratin> expression patterns can identify cellular states without proving identical mechanical behaviour in every <tissue>.
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