Biologically Active Substance
cadherin
Subclass of:
Cell Adhesion Molecules
Definitions related to cadherins:
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Family of cell surface glycoproteins, first identified in vertebrates, that mediate calcium dependent, homophilic cell adhesion and thereby control tissue morphogenesis.CRISP ThesaurusNational Institutes of Health, 2006
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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.NCI ThesaurusU.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
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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.NLM Medical Subject HeadingsU.S. National Library of Medicine, 2021
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