Beta-keratin 75-80% of the amino acids in silk, another 10-15% is serine and the final 10% contain bulky side chains such as in tyr, arg, val, asp, and glu. Beta-keratin β-keratin or beta-keratin is a member of a structural protein family found in the epidermis of reptiles and birds . β-keratins were named so because they are components of epidermal stratum corneum rich in stacked β pleated sheets, in contrast to alpha-keratins, intermediate-filament proteins also found in stratum corneum and rich in alpha helices. Because the accurate use of the term "keratin" is limited to the alpha-keratins, the term "beta-keratins" in
Keratin about 10 µm across, with cores and coating, and may be arranged in up to 10 layers, also in plaques of variable shape. Adult hornets also use silk as a glue, as do spiders. Some infectious fungi, such as those that cause athlete's foot and ringworm (i.e. the dermatophytes), or "Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis" (Chytrid fungus), feed on keratin. Diseases caused by mutations in the keratin genes include: Keratin expression is helpful in determining epithelial origin in anaplastic cancers. Tumors that express keratin include carcinomas, thymomas, sarcomas and trophoblastic neoplasms. Furthermore, the precise expression pattern of keratin subtypes allows prediction of the