Keratin and keratinization

A flood of new knowledge and discoveries in the basic science of keratins and keratinization has appeared in the past several years. This review summarizes this recent information with a focus on the epithelial keratin polypeptides, keratin intermediate filaments, keratohyaline granule proteins, cell envelope formation and cell envelope proteins, "soft" keratinization, true disorders of keratinization (i.e., epidermolysis bullosa simplex and epidermolytic hyperkeratosis), and disease and drug effects on keratinization.