This high-resolution image depicts the structure of a desmosome, which is a local adhesive junction (macula adhaerens). The two neighboring cell membranes #1, #2 are clearly visible; the distance between them is 12-15 nm. An electron-dense material in the intermembrane space is constituted by adhesive proteins, namely desmogleins and desmocollins. Their extracellular domains interact with matching structures of the adjacent membrane while the cytoplasmic domains bind to accessory proteins of an intracellular condensed structure called desmosomal plaque #1, #2. These accessory proteins anchor intermediate cytoplasmic filaments #1, #2 (in this case, keratin filaments) via desmoplakin protein. The intermediate filaments do not end at the intracellular condensation but loop through the plaque and continue into the cytoplasm.