Cadherin-12 Proteins and Enzymes

The cadherin superfamily is a large family of membrane-associated glycoproteins that engage in calcium-dependent cell-cell adhesion events. Cadherin-12, also known as Brain‑Cadherin and N-Cadherin 2, is a 150 kDa classical cadherin. Classical family molecules are modular in their extracellular region, mediating cell adhesion through their five EC calcium-binding repeats. Cadherin-12 is expressed specifically in CNS neurons. The bulk of its expression is postnatal, and it is proposed to be involved in synaptogenesis. As a classic cadherin, Cadherin-12 will form homodimers and promote intercellular adhesion with itself and, possibly, Cadherins-8 and -14.