pintaliitoskadheriinien

Pintaliitoskadheriinien, often referred to as cadherins, are a crucial family of cell adhesion molecules that play a vital role in multicellular organisms. These transmembrane proteins are responsible for calcium-dependent cell-cell adhesion, mediating homophilic interactions where cadherins of the same type on adjacent cells bind to each other. This binding is essential for maintaining tissue structure and integrity, as well as for facilitating cell sorting and segregation during embryonic development.

The cadherin superfamily is diverse, with numerous subtypes identified, each often exhibiting tissue-specific expression patterns. This specificity allows for the formation of distinct cell populations and the precise organization of tissues. For example, E-cadherin is predominantly found in epithelial tissues, while N-cadherin is prevalent in neural tissues. The extracellular domain of cadherins contains multiple repeating units, and their cytoplasmic domain interacts with the actin cytoskeleton indirectly through adapter proteins like beta-catenin.

Dysregulation of cadherin function has been implicated in various pathological conditions, most notably in cancer. Loss of E-cadherin, for instance, is a hallmark of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a process that promotes tumor invasion and metastasis. Conversely, aberrant expression of certain cadherins can also contribute to disease progression. Understanding the intricate roles of different cadherins is therefore fundamental to comprehending both normal development and disease states.