Recombinant Human Desmocollin-2 Protein, CF

Desmocollin-2 (DSC2) is a 100 kDa - 110 kDa transmembrane glycoprotein member of the cadherin family of calcium dependent adhesion molecules (1 - 3). Human DSC2 is synthesized as a 901 amino acid (aa) precursor. It contains a 108 aa propeptide plus a mature region that consists of a 559 aa extracellular domain (ECD) that contains five cadherin-like domains, a 21 aa transmembrane segment, and a 186 aa cytoplasmic region (4). Within the ECD, human DSC2 shares 74% - 79% aa sequence identity with bovine, mouse, and rat DSC2. It shares 54% and 64% aa sequence identity with Desmocollin-1 and -3, respectively. DSC2 is also expressed as long and short splice forms which differ in their cytoplasmic regions (4, 5). The N-terminal two cadherin-like domains mediate homophilic interactions as well as heterophilic interactions with Desmoglein-2 (6). DSC2 is one of the principal components of desmosomes which form adhesive contacts between epithelial cells (1, 2). It is expressed in the basal and suprabasal layers of stratified epithelia in many tissues (1, 5, 7). In contrast to DSC1 and DSC3, DSC2 is also expressed in simple epithelia lining the gastrointestinal tract, liver, and kidney (5). During colon carcinogenesis however, DSC2 is downregulated, while DSC1 and DSC3 are upregulated (8). DSC2 is additionally expressed in the myocardium, and a variety of DSC2 mutations are associated with the cardiac arrhythmia disorder ARVC (5, 9).