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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2021 Sep 1.
Published in final edited form as: Biochim Biophys Acta Biomembr. 2020 May 3;1862(9):183329. doi: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2020.183329

Figure 3: Lipid rafts drive segregation of adherens junctions and desmosomes during junction assembly.

Figure 3:

Transient interactions between desmosomal and classical cadherins coordinates cadherin clustering at the cell surface. Adaptor proteins stabilize these nascent cadherin clusters. Interplay between cadherins and membrane lipids leads to accumulation of cholesterol and raft lipids specifically around desmosomal cadherin clusters and drives segregation of AJs and desmosome components. Plakophilins further enhance desmosome formation and segregation from AJs by promoting raft-associated clustering and by promoting desmoplakin and keratin linkages.