KERATIN AND KERATINIZATION

A flood of new knowledge and discoveries in the basic science of kerat ins and keratinization has appeared in the past several years. This re view summarizes this recent information with a focus on the epithelial keratin polypeptides, keratin intermediate filaments, keratohyaline g ranule proteins, cell envelope formation and cell envelope proteins, ' 'soft'' keratinization, true disorders of keratinization (i.e., epider molysis bullosa simplex and epidermolytic hyperkeratosis), and disease and drug effects on keratinization.