Desmosomes are adhesive multimolecular intercellular junctions composed of interacting proteins and transmembrane glycoprotein molecules. Desmosomes facilitate adhesion between adjacent cells and link intermediate filaments of adjacent cells, producing an integrated scaffolding of cytoskeletal elements throughout the tissue sheet. The main molecular components of desmosomes are members of three gene superfamilies, the desmosomal cadherins, the armadillo [...]