Cadherins in development

The cadherin family of cell adhesion molecules has emerged as a key regulator of embryonic morphogenesis. Although we are beginning to learn more about the developmental functions of non-classic cadherins, most of our current knowledge of the involvement of cadherins in various cellular processes that guide morphogenesis, such as adhesion, migration, cell shape changes, proliferation, and survival are based on the analysis of classic cadherins. Key issues for future studies include deeper knowledge of how the regulation of cadherin activity contributes to specific aspects of morphogenesis, and whether all cadherin-mediated morphogenetic activities can be directly or indirectly attributed to its role in cell-cell adhesion or whether they are executed via adhesion-independent mechanisms.