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A cell junction that mechanically attaches a cell (and its cytoskeleton) to neighboring cells or to the extracellular matrix. A cell-cell junction in which: on the cytoplasmic surface of each interacting plasma membrane is a dense plaque composed of a mixture of intracellular anchor proteins; a bundle of keratin intermediate filaments is attached to the surface of each plaque; transmembrane adhesion proteins of the cadherin family bind to the plaques and interact through their extracellular domains to hold the adjacent membranes together by a Ca2+-dependent mechanism. A functional unit located near the cell apex at the points of contact between epithelial cells, which in vertebrates is composed of the tight junction, the zonula adherens, and desmosomes and in invertebrates is composed of the subapical complex (SAC), the zonula adherens and the septate junction. Functions in the regulation of cell polarity, tissue integrity and intercellular adhesion and permeability. A plasma membrane part that forms a specialized region of connection between two cells or between a cell and the extracellular matrix. At a cell junction, anchoring proteins extend through the plasma membrane to link cytoskeletal proteins in one cell to cytoskeletal proteins in neighboring cells or to proteins in the extracellular matrix. A cell junction that forms a connection between two cells; excludes direct cytoplasmic junctions such as ring canals. The apical end of the lateral plasma membrane of epithelial cells.

View Gene Ontology (GO) Term

GO TERM SUMMARY
Name: desmosome
Acc: GO:0030057
Aspect: Cellular Component
Desc: A cell-cell junction in which: on the cytoplasmic surface of each interacting plasma membrane is a dense plaque composed of a mixture of intracellular anchor proteins; a bundle of keratin intermediate filaments is attached to the surface of each plaque; transmembrane adhesion proteins of the cadherin family bind to the plaques and interact through their extracellular domains to hold the adjacent membranes together by a Ca2+-dependent mechanism.
Synonyms:
  • macula adherens
  • spot desmosome
Proteins in PDR annotated with:
   This term: 31 [Search]
   Term or descendants: 31 [Search]


[geneontology.org]
INTERACTIVE GO GRAPH

GO:0030057 - desmosome (interactive image map)
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