title: Effect of zinc deficiency on keratins in buccal epithelium of rats.
abstract: Weanling rats fed a zinc-deficient diet (less than 1 part/10(6)) for 4 weeks develop parakeratotic and hyperplastic buccal epithelium with increased mitotic activity. Normal buccal epithelium contains major keratin polypeptides of 56, 46 and 43 kDa. Four-week zinc-deficient rats lacked the 43 kDa keratin. It appears that the 46 and 43 kDa keratins are related, differing as a result of some post-translation modification. A proteolytic cleavage of the 46 kDa keratin to the 43 kDa species is the most likely mechanism. The findings point to a decrease of keratinolytic enzyme activity in the zinc-deficient rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Dentistry, University of Illinois, Chicago 60612.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Daniel
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Gerson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003677:Deficiency Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D007633:Keratins / Q000737:chemistry*; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry; D010766:Phosphorylation; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D015032:Zinc / Q000172:deficiency*
chemical_list: D010455:Peptides; D007633:Keratins; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases; D015032:Zinc