Abstract：
The desmosome is a cell-cell adhesive junction that provides integrity and mechanical resistance to tissues through its attachment to the intermediate filament cytoskeleton. Defects in desmosomes cause diseases impacting the heart, epidermis, and other epithelia. In this review, we provide a historical perspective on the discovery of the desmosome and how the evolution of cellular imaging technologies revealed insights into desmosome structure and function. We also discuss recent findings using contemporary imaging approaches that have informed the molecular order, three-dimensional architecture, and associations of desmosomes with organelles such as the endoplasmic reticulum. Finally, we provide an updated model of desmosome molecular organization and speculate upon novel functions of this cell junction as a signaling center for sensing mechanical and other forms of cell stress.
摘要：
桥粒是细胞-细胞粘附连接，通过其与中间丝细胞骨架的附着为组织提供完整性和机械阻力。桥粒的缺陷会导致影响心脏的疾病，表皮,和其他上皮。在这次审查中,我们提供了关于桥粒发现的历史观点，以及细胞成像技术的发展如何揭示桥粒结构和功能的见解。我们还讨论了使用当代成像方法的最新发现，这些方法已经告知了分子顺序，三维建筑，以及桥粒与细胞器如内质网的关联。最后,我们提供了桥粒分子组织的更新模型，并推测了这种细胞连接作为信号中心的新功能，用于感测机械和其他形式的细胞应力。
