title: Genomic organization of mouse desmocollin genes reveals evolutionary conservation.
abstract: Desmosomal cadherins are a family of calcium regulated proteins involved in the formation of desmosomes, a type of cell junction important in maintaining cell adhesion and tissue stability. The desmosomal plaque consists of members of the desmosomal cadherin, plakin and armadillo family of proteins. Desmosomal cadherins are transmembrane glycoproteins that interact with desmosomal cadherins of the adjacent cells via their extracellular repeat domains and are divided in two subfamilies, the desmogleins (Dsg) and the desmocollins (Dsc). On the cytoplasmic side, the cadherins connect to the intermediate filament (IF) network indirectly by interacting with plakin and armadillo proteins. Here, we report the elucidation of the genomic structure of two mouse desmocollin genes, Dsc2 and Dsc3. Interestingly, at the genomic level, desmocollins show a higher degree of similarity to the classical cadherins, such as E-cadherin, than to the desmogleins.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Dermatology and Genetics & Development, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, 630 West 168th Street, VC-1526, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kljuic
authors.forename: Robert C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.forename: Angela M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Christiano
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015820:Cadherins / Q000235:genetics; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017124:Conserved Sequence / Q000235:genetics*; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D051187:Desmocollins; D051182:Desmogleins; D051180:Desmoplakins; D003896:Desmosomes / Q000235:genetics; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005091:Exons; D016678:Genome; D007438:Introns; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D051187:Desmocollins; D051182:Desmogleins; D051180:Desmoplakins