| Name: |
desmosome |
| Synonyms: |
macula adherens,
spot desmosome
|
| Definition: |
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. |
| Ontology: |
GO: Cellular Component [GO:0030057]
QuickGO
AmiGO
|