title: Cadherins and their connections: adhesion junctions have broader functions.
abstract: Cadherins - a family of cell-cell adhesion molecules - are linked to the actin cytoskeleton via intervening proteins. Recent results address molecular explanations for observed cadherin behavior, point to signals that regulate adhesion by modulating elements of the cadherin-associated complex, challenge the belief that different cadherins generally cannot cross-adhere, and highlight instructive roles for cadherins in cell signaling and differentiation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology Princeton University Princeton, NJ 08544, USA. msteinberg@princeton.edu.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Steinberg
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: McNutt
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D015820:Cadherins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D051177:Catenins; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism; D051180:Desmoplakins; D006801:Humans; D007365:Intercellular Junctions / Q000502:physiology*; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008954:Models, Biological; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011485:Protein Binding; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051176:beta Catenin; D000095002:Delta Catenin
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; D015820:Cadherins; D051177:Catenins; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D051180:Desmoplakins; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051176:beta Catenin; D000095002:Delta Catenin