Re-modeling of epithelial tissues requires that the cells in the tissue 
rearrange their adhesive contacts in order to allow cells to migrate relative to 
neighboring cells. Desmosomes are prominent adhesive structures found in a 
variety of epithelial tissues that are believed to inhibit cell migration and 
invasion. Mechanisms regulating desmosome assembly and stability in migrating 
cells are largely unknown. In this study we established a cell culture model to 
examine the fate of desmosomal components during scratch wound migration. 
Desmosomes are rapidly assembled between epithelial cells at the lateral edges 
of migrating cells and structures are transported in a retrograde fashion while 
the structures become larger and mature. Desmosome assembly and dynamics in this 
system are dependent on the actin cytoskeleton prior to being associated with 
the keratin intermediate filament cytoskeleton. These studies extend our 
understanding of desmosome assembly and provide a system to examine desmosome 
assembly and dynamics during epithelial cell migration.