Gamma Catenin Antibody / Plakoglobin

Plakoglobin, also known as junction plakoglobin or gamma-catenin, is a protein that in humans is encoded by the JUP gene. It is a member of the catenin protein family and homologous to beta-catenin. It is a cytoplasmic component of desmosomes and adherens junctions structures located within intercalated discs of cardiac muscle that function to anchor sarcomeres and join adjacent cells in cardiac muscle. Mutations in Plakoglobin are associated with arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia and Pemphigus vulgaris.

Plakoglobin is a major cytoplasmic component of both desmosomes and adherens junctions, and is the only known constituent common to submembranous plaques in both of these structures, which are located at the intercalated disc (ICD) of cardiomyocytes. It links cadherins to the actin cytoskeleton. Plakoglobin binds to conserved regions of desmoglein and desmocollin at intracellular catenin-binding sites to assemble desmosomes. [Wiki]