...Jessica L. Teo; Robert G. Parton; Alpha S. Yap Classical cadherin cell adhesion receptors are integral membrane proteins that mediate cell–cell interactions, tissue integrity and morphogenesis. Cadherins are best understood to function as membrane-spanning molecular composites that couple adhesion...

...W. James Nelson Ca 2+ -dependent cell–cell adhesion is regulated by the cadherin family of cell adhesion proteins. Cadherins form trans -interactions on opposing cell surfaces which result in weak cell–cell adhesion. Stronger cell–cell adhesion occurs by clustering of cadherins and through changes...

...Deborah Leckband This review summarizes findings from multiple complementary quantitative investigations of adhesion by classical cadherins. The systems investigated range from single molecules to cells, and the approaches used quantify the kinetics, energetics and mechanical strengths of cadherin...

...Ashraf Al-Amoudi; Achilleas S. Frangakis Desmosomes are cadherin-based intercellular junctions that primarily provide mechanical stability to tissues such as epithelia and cardiac muscle. Desmosomal cadherins, which are Ca 2+ -dependent adhesion molecules, are of central importance in mediating...

...Sabine Pokutta; Frauke Drees; Soichiro Yamada; W. James Nelson; William I. Weis Cadherins are transmembrane adhesion molecules that mediate homotypic cell–cell contact. In adherens junctions, the cytoplasmic domain of cadherins is functionally linked to the actin cytoskeleton through a series...

... complex. These links are targeted by diseases, resulting in disruption of the complex with severe consequences. Hyper-adhesion is characteristic of desmosomes in tissues and is believed to result from a highly ordered arrangement of the extracellular domains of the desmosomal cadherins that locks...

... present work, we have isolated desmosomes from cow snout and imaged them in the frozen unstained state. Although not definitive, the resulting images provide support for the irregular groupings of cadherin molecules seen previously in mouse skin. 1 To whom correspondence should be addressed (email...