Component of intercellular desmosome junctions. Involved in the interaction of plaque proteins and intermediate filaments mediating cell-cell adhesion. Coordinates the transition from proliferation to differentiation in hair follicle keratinocytes (By similarity). Highly expressed in skin, testis and prostate; less in salivary gland. In scalp follicles, present in the inner root sheath (IRS) and all layers of the matrix and precortex. Three calcium ions are usually bound at the interface of each cadherin domain and rigidify the connections, imparting a strong curvature to the full-length ectodomain. The disease is caused by variants affecting the gene represented in this entry. Autoantibodies against DSG4 are found in patients with pemphigus vulgaris. Pemphigus vulgaris is a potentially lethal skin disease in which epidermal blisters occur as the result of the loss of cell-cell adhesion.