Characterization of the keratin filament subunits unique to bovine snout epidermis

Abstract

.alpha.-Keratin polypeptides (the subunits of the intracellular keratin filaments) of bovine hoof and snout epidermis were thought to be the same, but this apparently is not so. In addition to the 7 polypeptides previously identified in hoof epidermis, snout epidermis contains at least 3 other polypeptides of higher MW. These unique polypeptides were isolated, purified and characterized. They are chemically and structurally very similar to the other polypeptides of bovine epidermis and readily polymerize in vitro with them to form native-type epidermal keratin filaments.