DSG1

Chr 18ARAD

desmoglein 1

Also known as: CDHF4, DG1, DSG, EPKHE, EPKHIA, PPKS1, SPPK1

The protein is a cadherin-like transmembrane glycoprotein that forms desmosomes, which are cell-cell junctions that resist mechanical stress and mediate cellular adhesion. Mutations cause congenital erythroderma with palmoplantar keratoderma, hypotrichosis, and hyper-IgE (autosomal recessive) or palmoplantar keratoderma striata (autosomal dominant). This gene is highly constrained against loss-of-function mutations, indicating that such variants are likely to be pathogenic.

OMIMResearchSummary from RefSeq, OMIM, UniProt
LOFmechanismAR/ADLOEUF 0.332 OMIM phenotypes
Clinical SummaryDSG1
Population Constraint (gnomAD)
Highly constrained gene — heterozygous loss-of-function variants are very rare in the population (pLI 0.93). One damaged copy is likely sufficient to cause disease.

Population Genetics & Constraint

gnomAD v4 — loss-of-function & missense intolerance

LoF intolerant — likely haploinsufficient
LoF Constraint
0.33LOEUF
pLI 0.927
Z-score 5.00
OE 0.18 (0.110.33)
Highly constrained

Highly LoF-intolerant (top ~10% of genes)

Missense Constraint
-0.34Z-score
OE missense 1.04 (0.971.11)
592 obs / 569.1 exp
Tolerant

Tolerant to missense variation

Observed / Expected Ratios
LoF OE0.18 (0.110.33)
00.351.4
Missense OE1.04 (0.971.11)
00.61.4
Synonymous OE1.13
01.21.6
LoF obs/exp: 8 / 43.6Missense obs/exp: 592 / 569.1Syn Z: -1.40
Curated Mechanism (G2P)Gene2Phenotype (DDG2P) ↗
definitiveDSG1-related palmoplantar keratoderma, striateLOFAD
strongDSG1-related severe dermatitis, multiple allergies and metabolic wastingLOFAR
DN
0.5476th %ile
GOF
0.7028th %ile
LOF
0.55top 25%

This gene has evidence for multiple mechanisms of pathogenicity (loss-of-function and gain-of-function). The Badonyi & Marsh model scores gain-of-function highest among its predictions, but genomic evidence (constraint, ClinVar variant spectrum, and literature) most strongly supports loss-of-function (haploinsufficiency). Different variants in this gene may act through different mechanisms — interpret in context of the specific variant.

LOF1 literature citation · LOEUF 0.33
GOFprediction above median

Note: In-silico variant effect predictors (SIFT, PolyPhen, REVEL, CADD) may underestimate pathogenicity of missense variants in genes with GOF or DN mechanisms. Consider functional evidence and clinical context.

Literature Evidence

LOFRickman et al. (1999) concluded that haploinsufficiency was probably a mechanism of the dominant disorder in the family. The rather mild clinical symptoms could have been a consequence of the partial efficiency of missplicing and the fact that affected individuals were heterozygotes, so that only a PMID:10332028

Predictions from Badonyi M, Marsh JA. PLoS ONE. 2024;19(8):e0307312. Mechanism ranking also informed by gnomAD constraint, ClinVar, and ClinGen data.

ClinVar Variant Classifications

0 submitted variants in ClinVar

Protein Context — Lollipop Plot

DSG1 · protein map & ClinVar variants

Showing all ClinVar variants across the protein. Search a specific variant to highlight its position.

3D Protein StructureAlphaFold

Clinical Trials

Active and recruiting trials from ClinicalTrials.gov

No active trials found for this gene.

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Clinical Literature
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