The mechanism of desmosome internalisation

Desmosomes are intercellular adhesive junctions providing architectural integrity to tissues that are subject to mechanical stress. During wound healing downregulation of desmosomal adhesion is necessary to facilitate tissue remodeling. Ultrastructural observations suggest that downregulation may occur by internalisation of whole desmosomes but the mechanism of downregulation is not understood. Protein kinase C alpha (PKCα) has been shown to colocalise with desmosomes at the wound edge and to modulate their adhesion. This thesis investigates the internalisation of desmosomes with particular reference to the roles of the cytoskeleton and PKC.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo