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Cadherins are a class of type-I transmembrane proteins that play a crucial role in cell adhesion, a process by which cells interact and bind to each other. They are named for their calcium-dependent adhesion properties. Cadherins are essential for the formation and maintenance of tissues and are involved in various biological processes, including embryogenesis, tissue morphogenesis, and the maintenance of tissue architecture.

Structurally, cadherins consist of an extracellular domain, a transmembrane domain, and a cytoplasmic domain. The extracellular domain contains cadherin repeats, which are responsible for calcium binding and cell-cell adhesion. The cytoplasmic domain interacts with catenins, which link cadherins to the actin cytoskeleton, providing mechanical stability to cell-cell junctions.

There are several types of cadherins, including E-cadherin, N-cadherin, P-cadherin, and R-cadherin, each with specific expression patterns and functions. E-cadherin, for example, is predominantly found in epithelial cells and is crucial for the formation of adherens junctions, which are important for maintaining the integrity of epithelial sheets. N-cadherin is often found in neural and mesenchymal cells and plays a role in neural development and tissue morphogenesis.

Dysregulation of cadherin function has been implicated in various diseases, including cancer. Loss of E-cadherin expression, for instance, is associated with a loss of cell adhesion and increased cell motility, contributing to tumor progression and metastasis. Understanding the role of cadherins in health and disease is an active area of research in cell biology and cancer biology.