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Cadherins in Tissue Organization

Cadherins in Tissue Organization

The cadherins are a superfamily of cell adhesion molecules comprising over 180 variants, with specific tissues expressing a particular combination of cadherin types. Cadherins generally exhibit homophilic binding; i.e., cadherins on one cell bind to cadherins of the same or closely related type on another cell. Thus, cells of the same type have a specific affinity to bind to each other and sort themselves into clusters to form tissues.
Cell Sorting During Development
Cell sorting plays an...

Structure of Cadherins

Structure of Cadherins

The cadherins were one of the first cell adhesion molecules discovered; the term “cadherins” is based on their calcium-dependent adhering properties. The first cadherins discovered on the epithelial, neuronal, and placental cells were named E-cadherin, P-cadherin, and N-cadherin, respectively. These classical cadherins share sequence and structural similarities. Other cadherins, including those involved in cell signaling, are grouped into non-classical cadherins. This diversity of cadherins...

Catenins

Catenins

Catenins are characterized by multiple binding domains and dynamic structures that allow them to function as linker proteins in cell junction complexes. All catenins, except α-catenin, contain a characteristic protein sequence called the armadillo repeat and are therefore also called armadillo proteins.
Catenins in Cell Junctions
Catenins bind to cell adhesion molecules such as cadherins and link them to different cytoskeletal proteins depending on the type of cell junction. At the adherens...

Adherens Junctions

Adherens Junctions

Strong contact points between adjacent cells anchor them to each other, forming tissues. Such anchoring junctions are of two types – adherens junctions and desmosomes. Adherens junctions are abundant in tissues such as epithelium and endothelium, forming a continuous zone of adhesion called the adhesion belt. In other tissues, such as heart muscle, they appear as clusters, linking the cells to produce coordinated heart muscle contraction.
Adherens Junctions are Dynamic
The endothelial cells...

Cell Adhesion Molecules - Types and Functions

Cell Adhesion Molecules - Types and Functions

Cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) are pivotal to multicellularity and the coordinated functioning of tissues and organ systems. They enable physical interactions between cells and provide mechanical strength to tissues. They also function as receptors for signal transmission across the plasma membrane. The CAMs are broadly classified into four families - integrins, cadherins, selectins, and immunoglobulin-like CAMs (IgCAMs).
CAM Families
The Integrin family of proteins is primarily involved in a...

Cell Adhesion Molecules - Types and Functions

Cell Adhesion Molecules - Types and Functions

Cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) are pivotal to multicellularity and the coordinated functioning of tissues and organ systems. They enable physical interactions between cells and provide mechanical strength to tissues. They also function as receptors for signal transmission across the plasma membrane. The CAMs are broadly classified into four families - integrins, cadherins, selectins, and immunoglobulin-like CAMs (IgCAMs).
CAM Families
The Integrin family of proteins is primarily involved in a...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Bead Aggregation Assays for the Characterization of Putative Cell Adhesion Molecules

Bead Aggregation Assays for the Characterization of Putative Cell Adhesion Molecules

Published on: October 17, 2014

Linking molecular affinity and cellular specificity in cadherin-mediated adhesion.

P Katsamba¹, K Carroll, G Ahlsen

¹Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and Edward S Harkness Eye Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

|June 26, 2009

Summary

Cadherin proteins mediate cell adhesion and tissue sorting. This study measured cadherin dimerization affinities, revealing how subtle differences in binding strength drive specific cell patterning behaviors.

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Last Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Bead Aggregation Assays for the Characterization of Putative Cell Adhesion Molecules

Bead Aggregation Assays for the Characterization of Putative Cell Adhesion Molecules

Published on: October 17, 2014

Adhesion Frequency Assay for In Situ Kinetics Analysis of Cross-Junctional Molecular Interactions at the Cell-Cell Interface

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Published on: November 2, 2011

Measuring Transcellular Interactions through Protein Aggregation in a Heterologous Cell System

Measuring Transcellular Interactions through Protein Aggregation in a Heterologous Cell System

Published on: May 22, 2020

Area of Science:

Cell Biology
Biophysics
Developmental Biology

Background:

Cell-cell adhesion is crucial for tissue formation and is largely mediated by cadherin proteins.
In vitro assays for cadherin-mediated cell sorting have produced inconsistent results, highlighting a gap in understanding the molecular basis of cell patterning.
The relationship between molecular binding affinities and macroscopic cell adhesive specificity remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the molecular basis of cadherin-mediated cell patterning by measuring dimerization affinities.
To establish a connection between molecular binding free energies and cellular adhesive specificity.
To elucidate how closely related cadherins mediate distinct cell behaviors.

Main Methods:

Quantification of N-cadherin and E-cadherin dimerization affinities.
Application of a theoretical framework linking molecular affinities to cell-cell adhesive specificity.

Main Results:

N-cadherin exhibits higher homodimerization affinity compared to E-cadherin.
The heterophilic binding affinity between N-cadherin and E-cadherin is intermediate between their respective homophilic binding affinities.
Observed cell aggregation patterns can be explained by the measured differences in cadherin dimerization affinities.

Conclusions:

Graded differences in homophilic and heterophilic cadherin binding affinities directly influence homotypic cell patterning.
Closely related cadherin proteins can drive highly specific cellular adhesive behaviors through distinct binding characteristics.
This work provides a molecular framework for understanding cadherin-mediated cell sorting and tissue organization.