DSG6

DSG6 refers to the gene encoding desmoglein-6, a member of the desmoglein family of desmosomal cadherins. Desmogleins are calcium-dependent cell adhesion proteins that form desmosomes, specialized cell–cell junctions important for maintaining tissue integrity in epithelial and other mechanically stressed tissues. Desmoglein-6 shares the common cadherin architecture, with extracellular cadherin repeats, a single-pass transmembrane domain, and a cytoplasmic tail that engages desmosomal plaque components to connect to the intermediate filament cytoskeleton.

The expression pattern and precise biological role of DSG6 are less well characterized than those of the better-studied desmogleins. Available evidence indicates that DSG6 is expressed in a subset of epithelial tissues and during development, where it is believed to contribute to desmosome formation and cell–cell adhesion. As with other desmogleins, DSG6 is thought to participate in linking cell adhesion to the keratin network through interactions with desmosomal plaque proteins such as plakoglobin and desmoplakin, supporting tissue integrity under mechanical stress.

In clinical and research contexts, there is limited evidence linking DSG6 mutations to human disease; the gene remains a focus of ongoing study within desmosomal biology. Research has explored DSG6 in relation to tissue remodeling and cancer, but it is not as extensively characterized as some other desmogleins. DSG6 is part of the broader DSG gene family that includes DSG1 through DSG4, and it is studied alongside these relatives to understand desmosome composition and function across tissues.