Cytokeratin 8 (CK8), also known as Keratin 8 (K8), is a type II keratin. Among the various intermediate filament (IF) proteins, cytokeratin 8 (CK8) is especially remarkable as it is produced early in embryogenesis, is the only type-II CK occurring in many simple epithelial cells, and can also be synthesized in certain non-epithelial cells. Cytokeratin 8 mRNA was abundant in fetal small intestine, placenta, pancreas, lung, liver, and kidney. Levels of cytokeratin 8 mRNA in placenta increased slightly during pregnancy. He et al. (2002) presented evidence that K8 is a new cytoplasmic target for JNK in Fas receptor-mediated signaling. The functional significance of this phosphorylation could relate to regulation of JNK signaling and/or regulation of keratin dynamics.