Isolation of placental cadherin cDNA: identification of a novel gene family of cell-cell adhesion molecules.
Ca2+-dependent cell--cell adhesion molecules, termed cadherins, are classified into subclasses with different tissue distributions and distinct cell--cell binding specificities. We report the cloning of cDNA encoding a cadherin present in the placenta which is called P-cadherin. The deduced sequence encodes a polypeptide of 822 amino acids with the characteristic features of integral membrane proteins. A computer search of the amino acid sequence homology of P-cadherin against itself showed that this molecule contains internal repeats in the extracellular domain. Comparison of the primary structure of P-cadherin with that of the epithelial cadherin (E-cadherin) showed that there is 58% homology in their amino acid sequences. These results provide evidence for our hypothesis that cadherins constitute a gene family.
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Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Science, Kyoto University, Japan.
Nagafuchi
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Takeichi
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D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004247:DNA / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005260:Female; D005796:Genes; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy
D000954:Antigens, Surface; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D004247:DNA