Figure 1.

Domain structure of various cadherin sub-groups. Five cadherin sub-groups can be described in the Cadherin family of cell adhesion molecules. All cadherins possess the ability to bind calcium ions and contain a variable number of common extracellular (EC) domains. Most cadherin sub-groups are defined as single-pass transmembrane proteins possessing one intracellular domain capable of binding different proteins (catenins, kinases), with the exception of the atypical cadherins that are membrance-anchored. Cadherin-like (or -related) proteins, however, span the plasma membrane multiple times and share homology with G protein-coupled receptors.