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First published online June 28, 2004

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Desmoplakin tubulates

The ability of cells to arrange themselves to form tubes is critical for blood vessel formation in normal development and tumorigenesis. Formation of cell-cell junctions is probably an important aspect of this process. Ian Gallicano and co-workers have therefore examined the role of desmoplakin – a component of both desmosomal junctions and capillary adherens junctions – in tube formation (see p. 3129). They observe that desmoplakin is rarely present at cell-cell junctions in cultured endothelial cells grown as monolayers but becomes concentrated at junctions when the cells are induced to form microvascular tubes on a matrigel substrate. In addition, they use RNAi to knock down desmoplakin and show that endothelial cells rarely form microvascular tubes without it – although the cells efficiently extend filopodia and establish close contact. Desmoplakin thus clearly plays an important role in tube formation, Since it connects cell junctions to intermediate filaments, the link to the cytoskeleton it provides might be essential for cells to withstand the stress imposed when they form tubes.

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Related articles in JCS:

Desmoplakin is required for microvascular tube formation in culture

Xuan Zhou, August Stuart, Luis E. Dettin, Gisela Rodriguez, Bonnie Hoel, and G. Ian Gallicano
JCS 2004 117: 3129-3140. [Abstract] [Full Text]  

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Related articles in JCS Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?