A fibrous protein found in connective tissues that helps form and maintain the structure of cells, particularly in muscle and epithelial tissues.
From Greek 'desmos' (bond, ligament) + chemical suffix '-ine'. Named for its role in bonding and connecting cellular structures together.
Desmin is so important that when it goes wrong, it can cause muscular dystrophy—it's literally the protein that holds your muscle cells' structural shape intact!
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