Keratin 5 Keratin 5 Keratin 5, also known as KRT5, K5, or CK5, is a protein that is encoded in humans by the "KRT5" gene. It dimerizes with keratin 14 and forms the intermediate filaments (IF) that make up the cytoskeleton of basal epithelial cells. This protein is involved in several diseases including epidermolysis bullosa simplex and breast and lung cancers. Keratin 5, like other members of the keratin family, is an intermediate filament protein. These polypeptides are characterized by a 310 residue central rod domain that consists of four alpha helix segments (helix 1A, 1B, 2A, and 2B) connected by three
Lectin MBL, the mannose-binding lectin, help mediate the first-line defense against invading microorganisms. Other lectins within the immune system are thought to play a role in self-nonself discrimination and they likely modulate inflammatory and autoreactive processes. Intelectins (X-type lectins) were shown to bind microbial glycans and may function in the innate immune system as well. Lectins may be involved in pattern recognition and pathogen elimination in the innate immunity of vertebrates including fishes. The function of lectins in plants (legume lectin) is still uncertain. Once thought to be necessary for rhizobia binding, this proposed function was ruled out through lectin-knockout transgene