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First published online 17 January 2006
doi: 10.1242/jcs.02769

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Desmocollin 3 is required for pre-implantation development of the mouse embryo

Zhining Den^1,*, Xing Cheng^1,*, Maria Merched-Sauvage¹ and Peter J. Koch^1,2,

¹ Department of Dermatology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
² Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA

Author for correspondence (e-mail: pkoch{at}bcm.tmc.edu)

Accepted 27 October 2005

Desmocollin 3 (Dsc3) is a transmembrane glycoprotein that belongs to the cadherin family of cell adhesion receptors. Together with desmoglein(s), it forms the transmembrane core of desmosomes, a multiprotein complex involved in cell adhesion, organization of the cytoskeleton, cell sorting and cell signaling. Previous reports have suggested that Dsc3 synthesis is largely restricted to stratified epithelia, and that it plays a role in the proper differentiation of these tissues during mammalian embryonic development. To test these hypotheses, we generated Dsc3-null mice. Unexpectedly, homozygous mutants show a pre-implantation lethal phenotype. In fact, most mutants die even before mature desmosomes are formed in the embryo, suggesting a new and unexpected role of Dsc3 during early development.

Key words: Desmocollin 3, Desmosomal cadherin, Cell adhesion, Desmosome, Embryogenesis, Pre-implantation lethality

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