KRT14 and epidermolysis bullosa simplex: Related to their function, KRT14 and KRT5 mutations are associated with epidermolysis bullosa simplex, an epidermal disorder characterized by fragility of basal keratinocytes and detachment of the cells from lamina upon physical trauma (Lane, 1994; Coulombe et al., 2009).As both KRT14 and RIPK4 are critical proteins important for keratinocyte differentiation and function, analysis of their interaction is critical for the understanding of the molecular basis of keratinocyte differentiation.