FIGURE 2

Immunoelectron micrographs showing distribution of Dsg3 on the cell surface of DJM-1 cells. Prefixed cells were treated with PV-IgG and stained with antihuman IgG labeled with 10-nm gold. Anti-IgG gold particles bound to nondesmosomal plasma membrane to reveal two types of clusters, ie, simple clusters of gold particles without KIF attachment (Panel a) and half-desmosome-like clusters with KIF-attachment and intracytoplasmic attachment plaque (Panel b). Desmosomes were also labeled with PV-IgG and gold particles (Panel c). Three serial sections (Panels d-1, d-2, d-3, f-1, f-2, f-3) illustrate that the simple cluster of gold particles were not associated with KIF and were not a part of desmosomes and that half-desmosome-like clusters with KIF-attachment were not a part of desmosomes (Panels e-1, e-2, e-3). Scale bars = 0.1 m (Panels a to c) and 0.5 m (Panels d and f).