Keratin Associated Protein 4-6 (KRTAP4-6)

KRTAP4-6 is a member of the keratin-associated protein (KAP) family. The KAP proteins form a matrix of keratin intermediate filaments which contribute to the structure of hair fibers. KAP family members appear to have unique, family-specific amino- and carboxyl-terminal regions and are subdivided into three multi-gene families according to amino acid composition: the high sulfur, the ultrahigh sulfur, and the high tyrosine/glycine KAPs. This protein is a member of the ultrahigh sulfur KAP family and the gene is localized to a cluster of KAPs at 17q12-q21. In the hair cortex, hair keratin intermediate filaments are embedded in an interfilamentous matrix, consisting of hair keratin-associated proteins (KRTAP), which are essential for the formation of a rigid and resistant hair shaft through their extensive disulfide bond cross-linking with abundant cysteine residues of hair keratins.