Desmosome

Japanese: desmosome

…In many cells, the fibrous structure of the cell anchors the nucleus so that it is located at the center of the cell, and also plays an important role in the distribution and change of organelles and other fine structures. Furthermore, the fibrous structure is also involved in the connection between cells via desmosomes, and the morphogenesis of cell populations is realized by the rearrangement of the fibrous structure within each cell and the generation and transmission of forces by the fibrous structure. The cytoskeleton, which is involved in such a wide range of cell functions, is complex and differs slightly depending on the cell type, but it can be broadly divided into structures made up of three characteristic groups of fibers (microtubules, intermediate fibers, and microfilaments). …

From [Cell Adhesion]

… Ultrastructural analysis of cell-cell adhesion using electron microscopy has revealed that there are special structures or cell membrane parts involved in cell adhesion. These include desmosomes, tight junctions, zonula adherens (or intermediate junctions), and gap junctions. In epithelial cells, tight junctions, zonula adherens, and desmosomes are often arranged in sequence from the free surface of the epithelium toward the inside, forming a structure called a junctional complex. …

From [Epithelium]

…At the top of the epithelial cell, there is a zonula occludens between the neighboring cells, where the cell membranes fuse together to seal the intercellular space. In addition to the zonula occludens, there are patchy structures called desmosomes scattered between the epithelial cells, which bond the cells together. There are also patchy structures called gap junctions, where the cells are extremely close to each other, and a specific protein particle is present between them. In the center of this particle, there is a small hole that connects the two cells, allowing ions to be exchanged between the cells. …

From [Myocardium]

…The bright lines or intercalated discs seen under an optical microscope are nothing but the boundaries of cardiac muscle cells. In these areas, cell adhesion devices called desmosomes are developed, which prevent cardiac muscle cells from separating when they contract. Cardiac muscle cells have fewer myofibrils and are rich in sarcoplasm compared to skeletal muscle cells. …

*Some of the terminology that mentions "desmosome" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

Japanese:

…多くの細胞で，核が細胞の中心に位置するように，細胞の繊維構造が核を係留し，細胞小器官やその他の微細構造の配分とその変化に対しても重要な役割を果たしている。さらに繊維構造は，デスモソームdesmosomeを介して細胞間の結合にも関係しており，細胞集団の形態形成は，各細胞内の繊維構造の再編成とその繊維構造による力の発生および伝達で実現される。　このように多方面にわたる細胞機能に関係している細胞骨格cytoskeltonは，複雑で細胞種によっても微妙に違うが，それぞれ特色ある3グループの繊維(微小管，中間繊維，マイクロフィラメント)によってつくられる構造に大別される。…

【細胞接着】より

…　細胞間接着を電子顕微鏡を用いて微細構造レベルで解析した結果，細胞接着のための特別な構造，または細胞膜の部分のあることが知られている。接着斑(デスモソームdesmosome)，密着結合tight junction，接着帯zonula adherens(または中間結合)，狭間隙（きようかんげき）結合gap junction(ギャップ結合)などがそれである。上皮細胞ではしばしば，密着結合，接着帯，接着斑が上皮の自由表面から内側に向かって順に並び，結合複合体と呼ばれる構造を形成する。…

【上皮】より

…上皮細胞の上端には隣の細胞との間に閉鎖帯zonula occludensがあり，細胞膜どうしが融合しあって細胞間隔をシールしている。閉鎖帯のほかに上皮細胞間にはデスモソームdesmosomeという斑状の構造が散在しあって細胞間を接着している。またギャップ結合gap junctionとよばれる構造が斑状にちらばり，ここでは両細胞の細胞間がいちじるしく接近し，その間に特有のタンパク質粒子が介在し，この粒子の中央に両細胞をつなぐ小孔があり，細胞間のイオンの交流を行っている。…