Dsc1 - desmocollin 1

This gene encodes a member of the cadherin family of proteins that mediates adhesion in desmosomes. The encoded preproprotein undergoes proteolytic processing to generate the mature, functional protein. Mice lacking the encoded protein exhibit epidermal fragility together with defects of epidermal barrier and differentiation. The neonatal mice lacking the encoded protein exhibit epidermal lesions and older mice develop chronic dermatitis. This gene is located in a cluster of desmosomal cadherin genes on chromosome 18. Alternate splicing of this gene results in multiple transcript variants encoding different isoforms that may undergo similar proteolytic processing. [provided by RefSeq, Jan 2016]