Recombinant Mouse P-Cadherin Fc Chimera Protein, CF

Placental Cadherin (P-Cadherin, PCAD, or Cadherin-3) is a member of the cadherin family of cell adhesion molecules. Cadherins are calcium-dependent transmembrane proteins, which bind to one another in a homophilic manner. On their cytoplasmic side, they associate with the three catenins, alpha, beta, and gamma (plakoglobin). This association links the cadherin protein to the cytoskeleton. Without association with the catenins, the cadherins are non-adhesive. Cadherins play a role in development, specifically in tissue formation. They may also help to maintain tissue architecture in the adult. P-Cadherin is a classical cadherin molecule. Classical cadherins consist of a large extracellular domain which contains DXD and DXNDN repeats responsible for mediating calcium-dependent adhesion, a single-pass transmembrane domain, and a short carboxy-terminal cytoplasmic domain responsible for interacting with the catenins. Constitutive P-Cadherin expression is found in the epidermis, mesothelium, corneal epithelium, and uterine decidua. Mouse P-Cadherin is an 822 amino acid (aa) protein with a 27 aa signal sequence and a 795 aa propeptide. The mature protein begins at aa 100 and has a 542 aa extracellular region, a 27 aa transmembrane region, and a 153 aa cytoplasmic region. Mutations in this gene have been associated with hypotrichosis with juvenile macular dystrophy (5). P-Cadherin over-expression is observed in various malignant tumors and is often correlated with increased tumor motility and invasiveness (6, 7).