Super-Resolution Imaging Reveals Stretch-Induced Architectural Rearrangement of Desmoplakin in Desmosomes.

ABSTRACT: Desmosomes (DSMs) are intercellular junctions essential for providing mechanical resilience to tissues, particularly the epidermis. Desmoplakin (DP) is a key DSM protein which anchors plaque proteins to keratins, thereby ensuring tissue integrity under mechanical stress. Clinically, DP mutations impair keratinocyte adhesion and structural integrity, leading to skin fragility disorders. However, how mechanical forces influence DSM architecture is poorly understood. We hypothesized that physiological stretch could alter DP architecture in DSMs. To test this, we subjected normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEKs) and DP-knockout human keratinocytes expressing either DPI-mEGFP, DP1a-mEGFP, or DP2-mEGFP to mechanical stretch using the Flexcell system (13% uniaxial strain for 30 minutes). Dir

SUBMITTER: Seeley LD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12407982 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature