The cadherins are a family of Ca2+-dependent adhesion molecules that function to mediate cell-cell binding events that are critical to the maintenance of cell structure and morphogenesis. EY-cadherin, also known as CDH18 (cadherin 18), CDH14 (cadherin 14), CDH24 or CDH14L, is a 790 amino acid single-pass type I membrane protein that contains five cadherin domains. One of several members of the cadherin superfamily, EY-cadherin functions as a type II classical cadherin that is expressed specifically in the central nervous system (CNS), where it plays a role in cell-cell binding events. Specifically, EY-cadherin is thought to be involved in axon guidance and outgrowth, as well as synaptic adhesion within the CNS. EY-cadherin contains a highly conserved C-terminal domain characteristic of all cadherins, but lacks the HAV cell adhesion sequence that is specific to type I cadherins. The gene encoding EY-cadherin is located within a region on chromosome five that is commonly deleted in carcinomas, implicating EY-cadherin as a potential tumor suppressor.
