Cadherin-20: Products

Cadherin-20 is a type II classical cadherin from the cadherin superfamily of cell adhesion proteins. It is expressed in placenta, adult brain, and fetal brain. In mice, during embryogenesis, Cadherin-20 is expressed in the forebrain, anterior neural ridge, developing visual system, primitive external granular layer of the cerebellum, and a subset of neural crest cells likely to develop into melanoblasts.

Cadherin-20 preferentially interacts with itself in a homophilic manner in connecting cells. It may contribute to the sorting of heterogeneous cell types. In addition, since disturbance of cellular adhesion is a prerequisite for invasion and metastasis of tumor cells, cadherins are considered prime candidates for tumor suppressor genes.