Schematic representation of the Dsc2 ectodomain model 3D array, generated from the crystallographic structure of C-cadherin [56]. In the centre we represented the desmosomal interspace as a cylinder, showing the midline formed by trans and cis interactions between molecules on opposed cell surfaces. Monomers from one cell surface are coloured in red and monomers from the opposed cell surface are coloured in blue. The midline is aligned with the x-axis of the cylinder (coincident with the x-axis in the crystallographic lattice). Rotation of the 3D array around the x-axis by (top) shows a regular lattice with distances between rows of molecules of 73.85 and distances of 75.14 between layers. Rotations around the z-axis produce four different views, all of them with a midline dense zone (bottom). These are strand dimer1 at = , “boat” at = , strand dimer 2 (inverse form strand dimer 1) at = , and “zipper” at = . The cis and trans interfaces between distal domains are indicated by arrows. Reproduced from the study by Garrod et al. in [55].
