Cytokeratin 20: Proteins and Enzymes

Intermediate-sized filament (IF) protein designated cytokeratin (CK) 1 is a major cellular protein of mature enterocytes and goblet cells commonly found in mucosal epithelium of the mammalian gastrointestinal tract (1). Results strongly suggest that transcriptional regulation of keratin genes in the intestinal epithelium occurs at the level of both immature and terminally differentiated epithelial cells, and is tightly regulated during both fetal development and crypt-to-villus differentiation of the intestinal epithelium (2). CK20 has recently been reported to be useful to distinguish between primary and metastatic lung adenocarcinoma. CK20 expression was significantly more prevalent in adenocarcinoma that originated in the GI tract than that of pulmonary or breast origin (3).