E-cadherin's role in development, tissue homeostasis and disease: Insights from mouse models: Tissue-specific inactivation of the adhesion protein E-cadherin in mice reveals its functions in health and disease

Bioessays. 2015 Mar;37(3):294-304. doi: 10.1002/bies.201400141. Epub 2014 Dec 2.

Abstract

Recent studies uncovered critical roles of the adhesion protein E-cadherin in health and disease. Global inactivation of Cdh1, the gene encoding E-cadherin in mice, results in early embryonic lethality due to an inability to form the trophectodermal epithelium. To unravel E-cadherin's functions beyond development, numerous mouse lines with tissue-specific disruption of Cdh1 have been generated. The consequences of E-cadherin loss showed great variability depending on the tissue in question, ranging from nearly undetectable changes to a complete loss of tissue structure and function. This review focuses on these studies and discusses how they provided important insights into E-cadherin's role in cell adhesion, proliferation and differentiation, and its consequences for biological processes as epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, vascularization, and carcinogenesis. Lastly, we present some perspectives and possible approaches for future research.

Keywords: adhesion; cadherins; cancer; development; mouse models.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cdh1 Proteins / physiology*
  • Cell Adhesion
  • Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition
  • Gene Knockout Techniques
  • Homeostasis
  • Humans
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Neoplasms / pathology
  • Organ Specificity
  • Signal Transduction

Substances

  • Cdh1 Proteins
  • Fzr1 protein, mouse