Structural analysis reflects the evolutionary relationship between the human desmocollin gene family members

Desmocollins, members of the desmosomal cadherin family, are known to play an important role in desmosomal intercellular adhesion. The human desmosoma l cadherin cluster is located on chromosome 18q12, and consists of three de smoglein and three desmocollin genes. The cDNAs of all six of these genes h ave been cloned and sequenced, however, the exon-intron organization was re ported for only one human desmocollin gene, DSC2. We elucidated the exon-in tron structures of the DSC1 and DSC3 genes using PCR amplification of genom ic DNA and direct sequencing of BAC clones. The results suggest a strong ev olutionary conservation between the genomic organization of the desmocollin genes.