Members of this family have very varied localisations within the eukaryotic cell. pinin is known to localise at the desmosomes and is implicated in anchoring intermediate filaments to the desmosomal plaque [1]. SDK2/3 is a dynamically localised nuclear protein thought to be involved in modulation of alternative pre-mRNA splicing [2]. memA is a tumour marker preferentially expressed in human melanoma cell lines. A common feature of the members of this family is that they may all participate in regulating protein-protein interactions [3].

1: Characterization of pinin, a novel protein associated with the desmosome-intermediate filament complex. Ouyang P, Sugrue SP; J Cell Biol 1996;135:1027-1042. PMID:8922384

2: Evidence that 'pinin', reportedly a differentiation-specific desmosomal protein, is actually a widespread nuclear protein. Brandner JM, Reidenbach S, Franke WW; Differentiation 1997;62:119-127. PMID:9447706

3: memA/DRS, a putative mediator of multiprotein complexes, is overexpressed in the metastasizing human melanoma cell lines BLM and MV3. Degen WG, Agterbos MA, Muyrers JP, Bloemers HP, Swart GW; Biochim Biophys Acta 1999;1444:384-394. PMID:10095061