DESMOPLAKINS I AND II, INCLUDED| DPI, INCLUDED, DP1, INCLUDED| DPII, INCLUDED, DP2, INCLUDED| KERATOSIS PALMOPLANTARIS STRIATA II, INCLUDED, PPKS2, INCLUDED| KERATODERMA, PALMOPLANTAR, STRIATE FORM II, INCLUDED| STRIATE PALMOPLANTAR KERATODERMA II, INCLU
Desmosomes are the most common type of intercellular junction in vertebrate epithelial cells. They are characterized by 2 forms of interaction with other cellular structures. First, they form membrane anchorage sites for intermediate-size filaments, which are seen as electron-dense plaques evident beneath the plasma membrane. Second, a specific membrane core domain interacts with a corresponding domain of the plasma membrane of an adjacent cell, apparently mediating intercellular adhesion in a stable way. The desmosome intermediate filament complex is thought to impart tensile strength and resilience to the epithelium. Desmosomal proteins can be divided into 2 groups based on whether they fractionate with the urea-insoluble 'core' or the urea-soluble 'plaque' components. Desmoglein (125670) is, for example, a protein of the core; the main proteins of the plaque comprise the desmoplakins and plakoglobin (173325).
General function
Cell adhesion molecule
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Cellular localization
Plasma membrane, Cytoskeleton
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Ovarian function
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Expression regulated by
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Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects 5% of reproductive aged women and is the leading cause of anovulatory infertility. A hallmark of PCOS is excessive theca cell androgen secretion, which is directly linked to the symptoms of PCOS. Our previous studies demonstrated that theca cells from PCOS ovaries maintained in long term culture persistently secrete significantly greater amounts of androgens than normal theca cells, suggesting an intrinsic abnormality. Furthermore, previous studies suggested that ovarian hyperandrogenemia is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait. However, the genes responsible for ovarian hyperandrogenemia of PCOS have not been identified. In this present study, Wood JR, et al carried out microarray analysis to define the gene networks involved in excess androgen synthesis by the PCOS theca cells in order to identify candidate PCOS genes. Analysis revealed that PCOS theca cells have a gene expression profile that is distinct from normal theca cells. Included in the cohort of genes with increased mRNA abundance in PCOS theca cells were aldehyde dehydrogenase 6 and retinol dehydrogenase 2, which play a role in all-trans-retinoic acid biosynthesis and the transcription factor GATA6. We demonstrated that retinoic acid and GATA6 increased the expression of 17alpha-hydroxylase, providing a functional link between altered gene expression and intrinsic abnormalities in PCOS theca cells. Thus, the analyses have 1) defined a stable molecular phenotype of PCOS theca cells, 2) suggested new mechanisms for excess androgen synthesis by PCOS theca cells, and 3) identified new candidate genes that may be involved in the genetic etiology of PCOS. This is one of the genes with Altered mRNA Abundance in PCOS Theca Cells as compared with normal theca cells Maintained Under Basal Conditions.