Dermokine (DMKN)

Dermokine is upregulated in inflammatory diseases, and it was first observed as expressed in the differentiated layers of skin. The most interesting aspect of this gene is the differential use of promoters and terminators to generate isoforms with unique cellular distributions and domain components. Alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding different isoforms have been identified for this gene. This protein has been identified by Matsui et al (2004) who also suggested that this protein is a cytokine. The protein is expressed by keratinocytes in the spinous layer of the epidermis and is expressed strongly in granular keratinocytes . The protein has been found to be expressed also in tubular epithelial cells of the kidney, hepatocytes, lung macrophages, endothelial cells, acinar cells of the pancreas, smooth muscle cells, pancreatic islet cells.