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Desmosomes and disease
M.A.J. Chidgey
School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
Offprint requests to: Dr. Martyn A.J. Chidgey, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, 3.239 Stopford Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
Summary. Considerable progress has been made in our
knowledge of desmosomes and their components.
Molecular cloning of the desmosomal glycoproteins has
established that desmoglein I and desmoglein 3 are
targets for autoantibodies in the blistering diseases
pemphigus foliaceus and pemphigus vulgaris
respectively. New evidence suggests that another
desmosomal glycoprotein, desmocollin I, is the major
target antigen in the upper epidermal form of
intercellular IgA dermatosis (lgA pemphigus). In human
cancer there is accumulating evidence which suggests a
role for desmosomes in the prevention of invasion and
metastasis. The possibility exists that a mutation in a
desmosomal glycoprotein gene is responsible for an
inheritable human disease, the striated form of
palmoplantar keratoderma. Histol Histopathol 12, 1159-1168
(1997)
Key words: Desmosome, Desmoglein, Desmocollin,
Pemphigus, Cancer
DOI: 10.14670/HH-12.1159
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