Study of self-Induced Mutations on Nail Protein

Abstract

All primates have nails, which are flat plates that resemble claws and are located at the tips of the fingers and toes. Nails are equivalent to other animals' claws. Alpha-keratin, a polymerized protein with a thick protective coating, makes up fingernails and toenails. Vertebrate hooves, claws, and horns contain alpha-keratin. 144 proteins were found in samples from Caucasian participants during a shotgun proteomic study of the human nail plate. 90% of the mass of the nail plate was made up of 30 identified proteins, the majority of which were keratins and proteins connected to keratins. The majority of the detergent-insoluble fraction was made up of keratins, but several cytoplasmic, membrane, and junctional proteins as well as histones were also found. This suggests that transglutaminases widely utilise readily available proteins as cross-linking substrates.