KRT15 Gene (Keratin 15)
Intermediate filament protein involved in epithelial integrity and hair follicle biology
Gene Information Card
| Symbol | KRT15 |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Keratin 15 |
| Gene Type | Protein coding |
| Chromosomal Location | 17q21.2 |
| NCBI Gene ID | 3866 ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/3866 |
| Ensembl ID | ENSG00000171346 |
| UniProt ID | P19012 |
| OMIM ID | 148030 |
| HGNC ID | 6422 |
| Aliases | K15, CK15, K1CO, cytokeratin 15 |
Description
KRT15 encodes keratin 15, a type I intermediate filament protein expressed primarily in the basal layer of stratified epithelia and the outer root sheath of hair follicles. It plays a critical role in maintaining epithelial structural integrity and is a marker for epithelial stem cells in the hair follicle bulge. KRT15 is frequently used as a biomarker in cancer studies, particularly in breast and skin cancers.
Disease Associations
| Disease category | Pathophysiological mechanism | Genomic evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Breast Cancer | KRT15 overexpression is associated with basal-like subtype and poor prognosis; may promote invasion and metastasis. | NCBI Gene, COSMIC |
| Squamous Cell Carcinoma | Loss of KRT15 expression correlates with dedifferentiation and aggressive tumor behavior. | ClinVar, COSMIC |
| Hair Follicle Disorders | Mutations in KRT15 can disrupt hair follicle integrity, leading to alopecia or abnormal hair growth. | OMIM |
| Epidermolysis Bullosa Simplex | Rare KRT15 mutations may contribute to skin fragility phenotypes. | ClinVar |
Expression Profile
Tissue Expression
| Tissue | nTPM | level |
|---|---|---|
| Skin | 45.2 | High |
| Esophagus | 38.1 | High |
| Breast | 12.5 | Medium |
| Prostate | 8.3 | Medium |
| Lung | 5.1 | Low |
Cell Line Expression
| Cell Line | nTPM | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| HaCaT (keratinocyte) | 62.4 | High expression; used as positive control |
| MCF-7 (breast cancer) | 18.7 | Moderate expression; basal-like subtype |
| A549 (lung cancer) | 4.2 | Low expression |
| HeLa (cervical cancer) | 9.8 | Medium expression |
Data source：Human Protein Atlas（proteinatlas.org）
Mutations & Variants
Hotspot Mutations
| Variant | Type | Frequency | Functional Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| c.315C>T (p.Arg105Cys) | Missense | <0.1% | Alters filament assembly; associated with skin fragility |
| c.487G>A (p.Gly163Arg) | Missense | <0.1% | Disrupts keratin network; reported in epidermolysis bullosa |
| c.1A>G (p.Met1Val) | Start loss | Rare | Loss of protein expression; potential loss-of-function |
Mutation functional classification
Loss of Function (LOF)
Start loss and nonsense mutations lead to truncated or absent keratin 15, compromising epithelial integrity.
Gain of Function (GOF)
Not well documented; some missense variants may alter filament dynamics but no clear gain-of-function reported.
Dominant Negative (DN)
Missense mutations in the rod domain can disrupt filament assembly in a dominant-negative manner, causing skin fragility.
View complete mutation data：
Gene Ontology (GO)
| • structural molecule activity (GO:0005198) | • intermediate filament (GO:0005882) |
| • keratin filament (GO:0045095) | • epithelial cell differentiation (GO:0030855) |
| • epidermis development (GO:0008544) |
Pathways
• Intermediate filament organization (Reactome: R-HSA-6809371)
• Keratinization (Reactome: R-HSA-6805567)
• Formation of the cornified envelope (Reactome: R-HSA-6809374)
Protein Summary
Keratin 15 is a 50 kDa type I intermediate filament protein that heteropolymerizes with type II keratins to form cytoskeletal networks. It is predominantly expressed in the basal layer of stratified epithelia and the outer root sheath of hair follicles. KRT15 serves as a marker for epithelial stem cells and is implicated in tissue integrity, wound healing, and cancer progression. Mutations can lead to skin fragility disorders, while altered expression is observed in various carcinomas.
Related Services
Related Products
| Product name | Cat.No. | Species | Gene ID | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KRT15 Knockout HEK293 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ5093 | Human | 3866 | Details Get a Quote |
| KRT15 Knockout A-549 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ28040 | Human | 3866 | Details Get a Quote |
| KRT15 Knockout HCT 116 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ28041 | Human | 3866 | Details Get a Quote |
| KRT15 Knockout HeLa Cell Line | EDJ-KQ28042 | Human | 3866 | Details Get a Quote |
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