The Cardiac Desmosome and Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathies: From Gene to Disease

Intercellular communication is essential for proper cardiac function. Mechanical and electrical activity need to be synchronized so that the work of individual myocytes transforms into the pumping function of the organ. Mechanical continuity is provided by desmosomes and adherens junctions, while gap junctions provide a pathway for passage of ions and small molecules between cells. These complexes preferentially reside at the site of end-end contact between myocytes, within the intercalated disc. Recognition that some forms of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy are caused by mutations in desmosomal protein genes has galvanized interest in the biology of the desmosome and its interactions with other junctional molecules. This review presents the cellular and molecular biology of the desmosome, current knowledge on the relation of desmosomal mutations and disease phenotypes, and an overview of the molecular pathophysiology of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy. Clinical experience and results from cellular and animal models provide insights into the intercalated disc as a functional unit and into the basic substrates that underlie pathogenesis and arrhythmogenesis of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy.