CDH1, also known as E-cadherin and CD324, is a calcium-dependent cell adhesion molecule. It consists of 5 cadherin repeats in the extracellular domain, one transmembrane domain, and an intracellular domain that binds p120-catenin and beta-catenin. In adult tissues, CDH1 is expressed in epithelial tissues, where it is constantly regenerated with a 5-hour half-life on the cell surface.
Loss of CDH1 function or expression has been implicated in cancer progression and metastasis. CDH1 downregulation decreases the strength of cellular adhesion within a tissue, resulting in an increase in cellular motility. This in turn may allow cancer cells to cross the basement membrane and invade surrounding tissues. CDH1 is also used by pathologists to diagnose different kinds of breast cancer. When compared with invasive ductal carcinoma, CDH1 expression is markedly reduced or absent in the great majority of invasive lobular carcinomas when studied by immunohistochemistry.