This gene encodes E-cadherin, a calcium-dependent cell adhesion molecule that functions in the establishment and maintenance of epithelial cell morphology during embryongenesis and adulthood. The encoded preproprotein undergoes proteolytic processing to generate a mature protein. Targeted mutations disrupting binding of calcium to the encoded protein in mice cause death in utero due to failed blastocyst and trophectoderm formation. This gene is located adjacent to a related cadherin gene on chromosome 8.
