The epidermis is composed of multiple layers of keratinocytes that are tightly anchored to one another by intercellular junctional complexes. These adhesive junctions maintain tissue integrity and help create a physical barrier with the outside world limiting both water loss and the influx of allergens and infectious material. Consequently, defects in adhesion lead to skin fragility and blistering diseases and have been associated with the development of inflammatory skin diseases. Importantly, intercellular junctions and their associated cytoskeleton are not static structures. Certain cells, such as melanocytes, lymphocytes and dendritic cells, must have the ability to temporarily break these junctions as they migrate into the epidermis or send out processes between neighboring keratinocytes. Very little is known about how keratinocytes reorganize their cell-cell contacts in response to invading cells.
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