Fig. 5. Fragmentation of the keratin network leads to relocation of desmoplakin and plectin, but not desmogleins, from desmosomes and hemidesmosomes. DM-EBS (KEB-7) keratinocytes were stretched for 120 minutes and stained for keratin 5 (green) using rabbit polyclonal antibody BL18 and mouse monoclonal antibodies against desmoplakin (11-5F) (A); desmoglein 2 (Dsg2) (B); HD1/plectin (HD121) (C) (all red). 3D maximum-intensity volumetric projections were generated by deconvolution microscopy. Desmoplakin is associated with small fragments of keratin in areas close to desmosomal junctions (A). In areas towards the nucleus there is a decrease in the number of small fragments and an increase in the number of ring structures, which have desmoplakin (A, arrow) and plectin (C) associated with them. Desmoglein 2, a major transmembrane component of desmosomes, does not relocalise in response to stretch (B). Bars, 5 µm.