Keratin-like proteins in corneal and conjunctival epithelium are different.

Using SDS polyacrylamide slab-gel electrophoresis, water-insoluble (keratin-like) proteins in normal and regenerated ocular surface epithelium from rabbits were studied. The results indicated that keratin-like proteins from corneal and conjunctival epithelia in vivo distinctly different. Regenerated epithelia from either source retained their original keratin characteristics for at least 10 days after healing over the cornea, but at very early stages of healing migrating and regenerated epithelia showed either an extra band or a prominent band in addition to the original keratin-like proteins. Three months after healing, however, regenerated conjunctival epithelium on the cornea had changed its keratin characteristics, and resembled, but was not identical to, corneal epithelium.