cadheriininit

Cadherins are a large family of cell adhesion molecules found in vertebrates and invertebrates. They are transmembrane glycoproteins that play a crucial role in cell-cell adhesion, forming adherens junctions. These junctions are essential for maintaining tissue integrity and are involved in various developmental processes, including embryonic morphogenesis and cell sorting. Cadherins are characterized by their extracellular cadherin repeats, which are responsible for homophilic or heterophilic binding to other cadherin molecules on adjacent cells. Their intracellular domains interact with the actin cytoskeleton through adaptor proteins like beta-catenin, linking the cell surface to the internal cellular architecture. The expression patterns of different cadherin types are often tissue-specific and can change during development and disease. Dysregulation of cadherin function is implicated in various pathologies, most notably cancer, where loss of cell adhesion mediated by cadherins can contribute to tumor invasion and metastasis. Research continues to explore the diverse roles of cadherins in cell signaling, development, and disease progression.