Family of cell surface glycoproteins, first identified in vertebrates, that mediate calcium dependent, homophilic cell adhesion and thereby control tissue morphogenesis.

The cadherins are transmembrane glycoproteins involved in calcium dependent specific cell-cell adhesion through homophilic binding. They are crucial for morphogenesis and synapse formation, but also are involved in tumor invasion. The classical cadherins have five homologous extracellular domains and a cytosolic domain which binds through catenin to the cytoskeleton. The extracellular domains are immunoglobulin-like beta-sandwiches comprising usually 7 strands in the two sheets.

Calcium-dependent cell adhesion proteins. They are important in the formation of ADHERENS JUNCTIONS between cells. Cadherins are classified by their distinct immunological and tissue specificities, either by letters (E- for epithelial, N- for neural, and P- for placental cadherins) or by numbers (cadherin-12 or N-cadherin 2 for brain-cadherin). Cadherins promote cell adhesion via a homophilic mechanism as in the construction of tissues and of the whole animal body.