CD324, also known as E-Cadherin or cadherin-1, is a calcium-dependent cell adhesion protein found in adherence junctions of epithelial cells, e.g., in colon, uterus, liver, keratinocytes, etc. CD324 also serves as a ligand for integrin alpha-E/beta-7. The epitope is expressed by a variety of carcinoma-derived cell lines such as MCF-7, HT-29, T-47D, NTERA-2, and 2102Ep. Loss of CD324 is thought to enable metastasis by disrupting intercellular contacts – an early step in metastatic dissemination. Furthermore, CD324 is a marker of undifferentiated embryonic stem (ES) cells and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. For these cells, CD324 plays a major role in conveying cell survival signals.
