Cadherin-15, also known as CDH15, is a member of the cadherin superfamily. Cadherins consist of an extracellular domain containing 5 cadherin domains, a transmembrane region, and a conserved cytoplasmic domain. Cadherins are calcium dependent cell adhesion proteins. They preferentially interact with themselves in a homophilic manner in connecting cells; cadherins may thus contribute to the sorting of heterogeneous cell types. Cadherin-15 contains 5 cadherin domains. It is expressed in some normal epithelial tissues and in some carcinoma cell lines. Defects in CDH3 are the cause of ectodermal dysplasia with ectrodactyly and macular dystrophy (EEM), also known as EEM syndrome, Albrectsen-Svendsen syndrome or Ohdo-Hirayama-Terawaki syndrome. Ectodermal dysplasia defines a heterogeneous group of disorders due to abnormal development of two or more ectodermal structures. EEM is an autosomal recessive condition characterized by features of ectodermal dysplasia such as sparse eyebrows and scalp hair, and selective tooth agenesis associated with macular dystrophy and ectrodactyly.
