Fig. 2.

Major desmosome and adherens junction components. (A) Transmembrane desmosomal cadherins form extracellular interactions between adjacent cells. The cytoplasmic domains of these cadherins bind to the armadillo proteins plakophilin and plakoglobin and together bind desmoplakin, which anchors the desmosome to the IF cytoskeleton. (B) Adherens junctions contain classical transmembrane cadherins that facilitate cell–cell interactions owing to interactions between their extracellular domains. Intracellularly, classical cadherins interact with the armadillo protein β-catenin and catenin family proteins, including p120 catenin and α-catenin. Linkage to the actin cytoskeleton is mediated through α-catenin, as well as vinculin, which is recruited to the junction under tension. ICS, intercellular space; IDP, inner dense plaque; ODP, outer dense plaque; DM, dense midline.