P-Cadherin

P-cadherin is another protein whose presence has been recently demonstrated in the slit diaphragm (R5). 

Cadherins are calcium-dependent cell adhesion proteins that mainly participate in interactions with cadherins, located on other cells. Cadherins have five similar extracellular domains some of which have calcium-binding sites, and an intracellular C-terminal domain that interacts with the actin cytoskeleton. Different cadherins are named according to the tissues were they were first found. E-cadherins were found in many epithelial cells. N-cadherins are present in nerves and muscle and P-cadherin are present in placental cells. 

Human podocytes cell lines have been developed by transfection of primary cells with SV40TAg or SV40tsA58 alone or in combination with hTERT [140-142], It has been shown that under non-permissive culture they reexpress podocyte markers such as podocin, nephrin, synaptopodin, and P-cadherin [142], The use of kidney progenitor cells and human induced pluripotent cells (iPSC) to produce podocyte-like cells has also been demonstrated and is discussed in more detail in Chap. 15. 

Cadherin-mediated interactions appear to be the dominant factors in the cell-specific sorting shown in Fig. la. The clearest evidence for such a role comes from transfection experiments [26]. Mouse L fibroblasts lack cadherins. Transfection of L cells with full-length cDNA clones of E-cadherin induce an efficient, calcium-dependent adhesion in the cells, which morphologically become epithelioid. Furthermore, when L cells are transfected separately with cDNA clones of E-cadherin or P-cadherin and mixed, the... 

Cadherins are transmembrane glycoproteins that are prime mediators of cell-cell adhesion via calcium-dependent interactions. Different members of the family are found in different locations (e.g., E-cadherin is found in epithelial tissue, N-cadherin is found in muscle and adult neural tissues, P-cadherin is found in the placenta). 

B. Cadherins constitute a family of cell-surface glycoproteins that mediate cell adhesion in a Ca -depen-dent manner. They tend to concentrate at cell junctions and require interaction with cytoplasmic-based protein to function. Three subclasses have been described E-cadherins, N-cadherins, and P-cadherins. Maintenance of cell polarity, a critical function that allows for... 

P-cadherin No avian homologue yet identified embryo, skin, liver, heart, kidney... 

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