We previously reported that shear stress induces phosphorylation and disassembly of
keratin intermediate filaments (IFs). Shear stress also induces a time-and strain-dependent
degradation of keratin IFs, and the current study examines the mechanisms involved in
degradation of keratin proteins in human A549 cells exposed to 0–24 h of shear stress (7.5–
30 dynes/cm 2). Ubiquitin was found to be covalently associated with keratin proteins
immunoprecipitated from shear-stressed cells, and pretreatment with the proteasomal …