How Cell-Cell Adhesion Contributes to Early Embryonic Development

摘要: Cell-cell adhesion is a crucial process during embryonic development from earliest stages on. Keeping cells together morphological changes in tissue composition essential for the integrity of developing organism and different cell-cell molecules including cadherins, immunoglobulins, integrins contribute to this cohesion. Cadherins dominate early Xenopus reason review will focus on group. are transmembrane glycoproteins mediating calcium-dependent adhesion. They consist an intracellular domain with extracellular several repeats specific cadherin types. The first described cadherins had five four calcium-binding sites each three calcium ions as common structure (Fig. 13.1, see type I). Typically, they possess HAV tripeptide localized function binding site homophilic trans dimerization. were named classical or I cadherins. In other which identified later, replaced mostly by QAV tripeptide. Still there striking similarities gene justifying term “cadherin” these well. Therefore, subfamily II atypical II) was created them.