Epiplakin 1 (EPPK1)

Epiplakin has 13 domains that are homologous to the C-terminal B domain of desmoplakin . B domains 9 through 13 and their preceding 358-residue linker regions form 5 repeats that share almost 100% identity and contain a 7-residue epitope recognized by the patient serum. Unlike desmoplakin, epiplakin lacks a coiled-coil rod domain, an N-terminal domain, and a dimerization motif, which suggests that it exists as a single-chain structure. Highest expression was in liver, small intestine, colon, salivary glands, stomach, and appendix, with lower expression in placenta, lung, brain, and bone marrow. Staining was found in all layers of the stratified epithelium of esophagus, in acinous cells of the parotid gland, and in mucous epithelial cells of the stomach and colon.