This book presents an overview of the entire field of cadherin research and provides the current basic concept of cadherins. Cadherins have been widely accepted as key regulators of animal development and physiological functions, and it also has become clear that they play essential roles in various human diseases. With contributions by leading scientists, the book covers various aspects of the cadherin superfamily including the history of cadherin research, basic properties of classical cadherins as well as non-classical cadherins, cadherin-associated proteins, and the roles of cadherins in health and diseases. In addition, the book presents some contradictory results and important unanswered questions, and the authors propose their working hypotheses or future directions, to inspire future studies. This volume enables graduate students and young researchers to learn the basics and gain a comprehensive image of the cadherin superfamily, and experts in the field will easily find various topics of interest in relevant areas of study. Additionally, a list of cadherin-related diseases is included for quick reference to cadherins in human diseases.

Presents an overview of cadherin research from cellular and developmental biology to medical science Offers a concise guide for a wide range of readers, from beginners to experts in the field Inspires future studies by providing contradictory results, unsolved questions, and the authors' working hypotheses or future directions Provides a list for quick reference to cadherins in human diseases

Inhalt
Foreword.- Preface.- Part I Overview.- 1 Introduction.- 2 Evolution of Cadherins and Associated Catenins.- Part II Classical Cadherins.- 3 Classical Cadherins.- 4 Structure and Function of Cadherin Extracellular Regions.- 5 Regulation of Cadherin-Catenin Biology by Mechanical Force and Phosphorylation.- 6 Cooperative Roles of Nectins with Cadherins in Physiological and Pathological Processes.- Part III Atypical Cadherins.- 7 Desmosomal Cadherins.- 8 Clustered Protocadherins.- 9 The Non-clustered Protocadherins.- 10 Seven-Pass Transmembrane Cadherin CELSRs, and Fat4 and Dchs1 Cadherins: From Planar Cell Polarity to Three-Dimensional Organ Architecture.- 11 Various Atypical Cadherins: T-Cadherin, RET, Calsyntenin, and 7-D Cadherin.- Part IV Cadherins in Tissues and Diseases.- 12 Cadherins in Neural Development.- 13 Cadherins in the Auditory Sensory Organ.- 14 Cadherins in Cancer.- 15 Cadherin-Related Diseases.- BM Index.