The protein encoded by this gene is a member of the type I keratin gene family. The keratins are intermediate filament proteins responsible for the structural integrity of epithelial cells and are subdivided into cytokeratins and hair keratins. The encoded protein is a cytokeratin required for the normal growth of hair follicles and may act in psoriasis as an immunopathogenic autoantigen. [provided by RefSeq, Sep 2015]