Biomaterial Database

Tandem arrangement of the closely linked desmoglein genes on human chromosome 18. 1995

D Simrak, and C M Cowley, and R S Buxton, and J Arnemann

Institut für Humangenetik, Universitätsklinik, Frankfurt/M., Germany.

The desmogleins, together with the desmocollins, both members of the cadherin superfamily, are the adhesive proteins of the desmosome type of cell junction, characteristically found in epithelial cells. Three different human desmoglein isoforms are encoded by separate genes (DSG1, DSG2, and DSG3) located on chromosome 18q12.1. DSG2 has been shown to be the most widely expressed in all desmosome-containing tissues, whereas DSG1 and DSG3 are expressed only in certain tissues, mostly stratified squamous epithelia. The desmoglein isoforms are expressed in a stratification-related manner in human epidermis, DSG1 being suprabasally expressed and DSG3 at a lower level, while DSG2 expression is weak and basal. Yeast artificial chromosome clones carrying all three known human desmoglein genes have now been isolated. The smallest clone containing all three DSG genes was 275 kb, and the three desmoglein genes were clustered within a region of less than 150 kb. From the types of clone obtained and from restriction enzyme analysis the order of the DSG genes and their orientation was deduced to be 5'-DSG1-DSG3-DSG2-3'. There thus appears to be some correspondence between the order of DSG genes and their expression within tissues, raising the intriguing possibility that the organization of the desmoglein gene cluster is required for properly regulated gene expression.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D009928	Organ Specificity	Characteristic restricted to a particular organ of the body, such as a cell type, metabolic response or expression of a particular protein or antigen.	Tissue Specificity,Organ Specificities,Specificities, Organ,Specificities, Tissue,Specificity, Organ,Specificity, Tissue,Tissue Specificities
D002887	Chromosomes, Human, Pair 18	A specific pair of GROUP E CHROMOSOMES of the human chromosome classification.	Chromosome 18
D003598	Cytoskeletal Proteins	Major constituent of the cytoskeleton found in the cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells. They form a flexible framework for the cell, provide attachment points for organelles and formed bodies, and make communication between parts of the cell possible.	Proteins, Cytoskeletal
D005786	Gene Expression Regulation	Any of the processes by which nuclear, cytoplasmic, or intercellular factors influence the differential control (induction or repression) of gene action at the level of transcription or translation.	Gene Action Regulation,Regulation of Gene Expression,Expression Regulation, Gene,Regulation, Gene Action,Regulation, Gene Expression
D005796	Genes	A category of nucleic acid sequences that function as units of heredity and which code for the basic instructions for the development, reproduction, and maintenance of organisms.	Cistron,Gene,Genetic Materials,Cistrons,Genetic Material,Material, Genetic,Materials, Genetic
D005810	Multigene Family	A set of genes descended by duplication and variation from some ancestral gene. Such genes may be clustered together on the same chromosome or dispersed on different chromosomes. Examples of multigene families include those that encode the hemoglobins, immunoglobulins, histocompatibility antigens, actins, tubulins, keratins, collagens, heat shock proteins, salivary glue proteins, chorion proteins, cuticle proteins, yolk proteins, and phaseolins, as well as histones, ribosomal RNA, and transfer RNA genes. The latter three are examples of reiterated genes, where hundreds of identical genes are present in a tandem array. (King & Stanfield, A Dictionary of Genetics, 4th ed)	Gene Clusters,Genes, Reiterated,Cluster, Gene,Clusters, Gene,Families, Multigene,Family, Multigene,Gene Cluster,Gene, Reiterated,Multigene Families,Reiterated Gene,Reiterated Genes
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D016133	Polymerase Chain Reaction	In vitro method for producing large amounts of specific DNA or RNA fragments of defined length and sequence from small amounts of short oligonucleotide flanking sequences (primers). The essential steps include thermal denaturation of the double-stranded target molecules, annealing of the primers to their complementary sequences, and extension of the annealed primers by enzymatic synthesis with DNA polymerase. The reaction is efficient, specific, and extremely sensitive. Uses for the reaction include disease diagnosis, detection of difficult-to-isolate pathogens, mutation analysis, genetic testing, DNA sequencing, and analyzing evolutionary relationships.	Anchored PCR,Inverse PCR,Nested PCR,PCR,Anchored Polymerase Chain Reaction,Inverse Polymerase Chain Reaction,Nested Polymerase Chain Reaction,PCR, Anchored,PCR, Inverse,PCR, Nested,Polymerase Chain Reactions,Reaction, Polymerase Chain,Reactions, Polymerase Chain
D016521	Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field	Gel electrophoresis in which the direction of the electric field is changed periodically. This technique is similar to other electrophoretic methods normally used to separate double-stranded DNA molecules ranging in size up to tens of thousands of base-pairs. However, by alternating the electric field direction one is able to separate DNA molecules up to several million base-pairs in length.	Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field Gradient,Gel Electrophoresis, Pulsed-Field,Contour-Clamped Homogeneous-Field Gel Electrophoresis,Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed Field,Electrophoresis, Pulsed Field Gel,Field Inversion Gel Electrophoresis,Orthogonal Field Alternation Gel Electrophoresis,Orthogonal-Field Alternation-Gel Electrophoresis,Pulsed Field Gradient Gel Electrophoresis,Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis,Pulsed-Field Gradient Gel Electrophoresis,Alternation-Gel Electrophoresis, Orthogonal-Field,Contour Clamped Homogeneous Field Gel Electrophoresis,Electrophoresis, Orthogonal-Field Alternation-Gel,Electrophoresis, Pulsed-Field Gel,Gel Electrophoresis, Pulsed Field,Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis
D051180	Desmoplakins	Desmoplakins are cytoskeletal linker proteins that anchor INTERMEDIATE FILAMENTS to the PLASMA MEMBRANE at DESMOSOMES.	Desmoplakin 1,Desmoplakin 2,Desmoplakin,Desmoplakin I,Desmoplakin II