Major cadherins
major cadherins
All members of the major cadherin (CDH) gene family encode proteins with an ectodomain comprising at least five consecutive cadherin repeats showing high sequence conservation within the family. The family includes the 'classical' type I and type II cadherin genes, encoding proteins with a single transmembrane domain and a cytoplasmic domain containing two conserved motifs for binding to members of the armadillo protein family. Further, the family includes type-III, type-IV and desmosomal cadherins, often encoding longer ectodomains with additional motifs, a single transmembrane domain and a cytoplasmic domain containing at least one conserved motif for armadillo protein binding. Finally, the family includes Flamingo/CELSR genes encoding proteins, which typically have a longer ectodomain, a seven-pass membrane domain and an unrelated cytoplasmic domain compared to other cadherins. These subfamilies are phylogenetically grouped together in one major cadherin branch.