The cadherins are a family of Ca++-dependent adhesion molecules that function to mediate cell-cell binding critical to the maintenance of tissue structure and morphogenesis. Cadherins each contain a large extracellular domain at the amino terminus, which is characterized by a series of five homologous repeats, the most distal of which is thought to be responsible for binding specificity. The relatively short carboxy terminal, intracellular domain interacts with a variety of cytoplasmic proteins, including (beta)-catenin, to regulate cadherin function. Cadherin-8 expression has been seen in mouse thymus tissue as well as in specific subdivisions of the developing central nervous system. It plays a potential role in brain morphology.
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