HISTOLOGY AND HISTOPATHOLOGY

Cellular and Molecular Biology



Review

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