Plectin is an abundant cytoskeletal protein that is involved in cytoplasm stabilization. Plectin has been shown to crosslink intermediate filaments to microtubules and microfilaments, and to anchor intermediate filaments to the plasma and nuclear membranes. Plectin binds both Lamin B and vimentin, and this binding is regulated by a variety of protein kinases. Phosphorylation by PKA or PKC results in decreased binding to Lamin B, and phosphorylation by PKA enhances the plectin-vimentin interactions. Plectin is also a substrate for p34cdc2 kinase. Several alternative splice isoforms of plectin are known to exist. Mutations in human plectin are known to cause epidermolysis bullosa simplex with muscular dystrophy (EBS-MD).
