cadherinfamilystä

Cadherin is a large family of transmembrane proteins that play a crucial role in cell-cell adhesion. These proteins are essential for maintaining tissue structure, cell sorting, and cell-cell recognition during embryonic development and throughout adult life. Cadherins are characterized by their extracellular cadherin repeats, which mediate homophilic binding to other cadherin molecules on adjacent cells. This homophilic binding is calcium-dependent, meaning that calcium ions are required for stable cell adhesion. The intracellular domain of cadherins interacts with the actin cytoskeleton through a complex of adapter proteins, most notably beta-catenin. This connection links the extracellular adhesion to the cell's internal structure, enabling cells to respond to mechanical forces and maintain tissue integrity.

The cadherin superfamily is diverse, with over 100 different types identified in vertebrates. These include classical cadherins, which are widely expressed and abundant in epithelial and endothelial tissues, as well as non-classical cadherins, which have specialized functions and are found in a variety of cell types, including neurons and muscle cells. Dysregulation of cadherin function has been implicated in various diseases, particularly cancer, where altered cadherin expression and function can contribute to tumor progression, invasion, and metastasis. For example, E-cadherin, a classical cadherin, is often downregulated in epithelial cancers, leading to a loss of cell-cell adhesion and increased migratory capacity of cancer cells. Research into the cadherin family continues to uncover new insights into their roles in normal physiology and disease, making them important targets for therapeutic intervention.