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Updated: Jun 23, 2026

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A guide and guard: the many faces of T-cadherin

Maria Philippova1, Manjunath B Joshi, Emmanouil Kyriakakis

  • 1Laboratory for Signal Transduction, Department of Biomedicine, Basel University Hospital, Switzerland.

Cellular Signalling
|April 29, 2009
PubMed

Insights

T-cadherin (cadherin-13) is an atypical protein that doesn't function as a typical adhesion molecule. It acts as a signaling receptor, regulating cell behavior and maintaining tissue architecture.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Cadherins are key for cell adhesion.
  • T-cadherin (cadherin-13) is an atypical cadherin lacking transmembrane and cytosolic domains.
  • It is anchored to the plasma membrane via a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) moiety.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the biomolecular characteristics, expression, function, and signal transduction of T-cadherin.
  • To explore T-cadherin's role in health and disease.
  • To elucidate T-cadherin's atypical function beyond cell adhesion.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of existing studies on T-cadherin.
  • Analysis of structural characteristics and predicted function.
  • Examination of expression patterns and functional studies (loss- and gain-of-function).

Main Results:

  • T-cadherin's structure suggests it is not a typical adhesion molecule.
  • It functions as a signaling receptor involved in environmental recognition.
  • T-cadherin regulates cell motility, proliferation, phenotype, and tissue architecture.

Conclusions:

  • T-cadherin plays a crucial role in modulating cell behavior and tissue organization.
  • Its function involves guiding cell navigation and maintaining tissue integrity.
  • T-cadherin is a significant regulator of tissue architecture and cellular processes.

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