Krt87, a keratin intermediate filament gene, is involved in the composition of wool and hair proteins. Keratin intermediate filaments play crucial roles in maintaining cell structure and integrity. The discovery of type II Krt87 in sheep exemplifies species-specific compositional differences in hair KRT genes [2].

In male Wistar rats, an acute stress exposure led to a strong increase in the expression of intermediate filaments including Krt87. This indicates its potential role in the body's response to acute stress, perhaps in maintaining cellular integrity during such challenging conditions [1].

In summary, Krt87 is important for the structure of wool and hair in sheep, and its increased expression in stressed rats suggests a role in the stress response, potentially in preserving cell structure. These findings from different research models help understand the gene's functions in normal and stress-related biological processes.

References:

1. Lanshakov, Dmitriy A, Sukhareva, Ekaterina V, Bulygina, Veta V, Denisov, Evgeny V, Kalinina, Tatyana S. 2024. Brainstem transcriptomic changes in male Wistar rats after acute stress, comparing the use of duplex specific nuclease (DSN). In Scientific reports, 14, 21856. doi:10.1038/s41598-024-73042-2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39300279/

2. Yu, Zhidong, Wildermoth, Janet E, Wallace, Olivia A M, Nixon, Allan J, Pearson, Allan J. 2011. Annotation of sheep keratin intermediate filament genes and their patterns of expression. In Experimental dermatology, 20, 582-8. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0625.2011.01274.x. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21554405/