| Modification Notes |
Cadherin transmembrane proteins mediate adhesion between cells, and their regulated expression during development plays a crucial role in the morphogenesis and patterning of tissues and organs (1,2). The cadherin protein superfamily, which is divided into several subgroups, including classical (type I), type II, and desmosomal cadherins, share a common domain organization of five tandem extracellular cadherin domains, a single transmembrane domain, and a highly conserved cytoplasmic domain (1,3). In Xenopus laevis, C-cadherin participates in the regulation of cell-upon-cell movements during gastrulation, which determines the organization of the body plan (4). The maternally expressed cadherins, EP- and XB-cadherin, reside in oocytes and mature eggs in Xenopus (5). They play a pivotal role in interblastomere adhesion in the early embryo. EP-cadherin also shows expression in epidermal cells in association with E-cadherin (6,7). |