Background information
Protocadherins are a subfamily of cadherins, a large group of related glycoproteins that mediate calcium-dependent cell-to-cell adhesion via a homophilic mechanism. Involved in a variety of functions, protocadherins help to regulate neural development and synapse formation. PCDH1 is a 1,026 amino acid single-pass type I membrane protein that contains seven cadherin domains and is a member of the protocadherin family. Localized to cell-cell and cell-matrix boundaries and expressed at high levels in brain and neuro-glial cells, PCDH1 is thought to be involved in cell adhesion and cell-cell interactions and may play a role in neuronal development. PCDH1 contains a C-terminal cytoplasmic region, an extracellular region and a transmembrane region, and is expressed as two isoforms due to alternative splicing events.
