Godsel L M, Getsios S, Huen A C, Green K J
Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Medical School, 303 E. Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.
Handb Exp Pharmacol. 2004(165):137-93. doi: 10.1007/978-3-540-68170-0_6.
Desmosomes are intercellular adhesive junctions that are particularly prominent in tissues experiencing mechanical stress, such as the heart and epidermis. Whereas the related adherens junction links actin to calcium-dependent adhesion molecules known as classical cadherins, desmosomes link intermediate filaments (IF) to the related subfamily of desmosomal cadherins. By tethering these stress-bearing cytoskeletal filaments to the plasma membrane, desmosomes serve as integrators of the IF cytoskeleton throughout a tissue. Recent evidence suggests that IF attachment in turn strengthens desmosomal adhesion. This collaborative arrangement results in formation of a supracellular network, which is critical for imparting mechanical integrity to tissues. Diseases and animal models targeting desmosomal components highlight the importance of desmosomes in development and tissue integrity, while the downregulation of individual protein components in cancer metastasis and wound healing suggests their importance in cell homeostasis. This chapter will provide an update on desmosome composition, function, and regulation, and will also discuss recent work which raises the possibility that desmosome proteins do more than play a structural role in tissues where they reside.
桥粒是细胞间的黏附连接，在承受机械应力的组织中尤为突出，如心脏和表皮。相关的黏着连接将肌动蛋白与称为经典钙黏蛋白的钙依赖性黏附分子相连，而桥粒则将中间丝（IF）与桥粒钙黏蛋白的相关亚家族相连。通过将这些承受应力的细胞骨架丝拴系到质膜上，桥粒在整个组织中作为IF细胞骨架的整合者。最近的证据表明，IF附着反过来又增强了桥粒黏附。这种协同排列导致形成一个超细胞网络，这对于赋予组织机械完整性至关重要。针对桥粒成分的疾病和动物模型突出了桥粒在发育和组织完整性中的重要性，而癌症转移和伤口愈合中单个蛋白质成分的下调表明它们在细胞稳态中的重要性。本章将提供关于桥粒组成、功能和调节的最新信息，还将讨论最近的研究工作，这些工作提出了桥粒蛋白在其所在组织中所起作用可能不止于结构作用的可能性。
