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Review
. 2024 Jun 15;137(12):jcs261899.
doi: 10.1242/jcs.261899. Epub 2024 Jun 28.

Desmosomes at a glance

Abbey L Perl  1 , Jenny L Pokorny  1 , Kathleen J Green  1   2   3
Affiliations
Review

Desmosomes at a glance

Abbey L Perl et al. J Cell Sci. .

Abstract

Desmosomes are relatives of ancient cadherin-based junctions, which emerged late in evolution to ensure the structural integrity of vertebrate tissues by coupling the intermediate filament cytoskeleton to cell-cell junctions. Their ability to dynamically counter the contractile forces generated by actin-associated adherens junctions is particularly important in tissues under high mechanical stress, such as the skin and heart. Much more than the simple cellular 'spot welds' depicted in textbooks, desmosomes are in fact dynamic structures that can sense and respond to changes in their mechanical environment and external stressors like ultraviolet light and pathogens. These environmental signals are transmitted intracellularly via desmosome-dependent mechanochemical pathways that drive the physiological processes of morphogenesis and differentiation. This Cell Science at a Glance article and the accompanying poster review desmosome structure and assembly, highlight recent insights into how desmosomes integrate chemical and mechanical signaling in the epidermis, and discuss desmosomes as targets in human disease.

Keywords: Cell adhesion; Cell mechanics; Cytoskeleton; Epidermal signaling; Intercellular junctions; Skin.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests K.J.G. is the Deputy Editor-in-Chief for Journal of Cell Science but was not included in any aspect of the editorial handling of this article or peer review process. The authors declare no financial interests.

Figures

None
See Supplementary information for a high-resolution version of the poster.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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