Anti-E Cadherin

E-cadherin is a calcium-regulated adhesion molecule expressed in most normal epithelial tissues. It is localized on the surfaces of epithelial cells in regions of cell-cell contact known as adherens junctions. The E-cadherin gene is located on chromosome 16q22.1. E-cadherin is associated with gland formation, stratification, and epithelial polarization. Besides its role in normal cells, this highly conserved gene can play a major role in malignant cell transformation, and especially in tumor development and progression. Selective loss of E-cadherin can cause dedifferentiation and invasiveness in human carcinomas, leading E-cadherin to be classified as a tumor suppressor. Protein function: Cadherins are calcium-dependent cell adhesion proteins (PubMed:11976333). They preferentially interact with themselves in a homophilic manner in connecting cells, cadherins may thus contribute to the sorting of heterogeneous cell types. CDH1 is involved in mechanisms regulating cell-cell adhesions, mobility and proliferation of epithelial cells (PubMed:11976333). Has a potent invasive suppressor role. It is a ligand for integrin alpha-E/beta-7. [The UniProt Consortium]