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Updated: Jul 20, 2026

Bead Aggregation Assays for the Characterization of Putative Cell Adhesion Molecules
Published on: October 17, 2014
N-Cadherin, a cell adhesion molecule involved in establishment of embryonic left-right asymmetry
M I García-Castro1, E Vielmetter, M Bronner-Fraser
1Division of Biology 139-74, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA. mig1000@caltech.edu
Abstract:
Within the bilaterally symmetric vertebrate body plan, many organs develop asymmetrically. Here, it is demonstrated that a cell adhesion molecule, N-cadherin, is one of the earliest proteins to be asymmetrically expressed in the chicken embryo and that its activity is required during gastrulation for proper establishment of the left-right axis. Blocking N-cadherin function randomizes heart looping and alters the expression of Snail and Pitx2, later components of the molecular cascade that regulate left-right asymmetry. However, the expression of other components of this cascade (Nodal and Lefty) was unchanged after blocking N-cadherin function, suggesting the existence of parallel pathways in the establishment of left-right morphogenesis. Here, the results suggest that N-cadherin-mediated cell adhesion events are required for establishment of left-right asymmetry.
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