Covered on Genetics Home Reference: head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

     From NCBI Gene: This gene is an ortholog of the Drosophila fat gene, which encodes a tumor suppressor essential for controlling cell proliferation during Drosophila development. The gene product is a member of the cadherin superfamily, a group of integral membrane proteins characterized by the presence of cadherin-type repeats. In addition to containing 34 tandem cadherin-type repeats, the gene product has five epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like repeats and one laminin A-G domain. This gene is expressed at high levels in a number of fetal epithelia. Its product probably functions as an adhesion molecule and/or signaling receptor, and is likely to be important in developmental processes and cell communication. Transcript variants derived from alternative splicing and/or alternative promoter usage exist, but they have not been fully described. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008] From UniProt: Plays an essential role for cellular polarization, directed cell migration and modulating cell-cell contact.

The following transcription factors affect gene expression:

• NF-kappaB
• PPAR-gamma1
• PPAR-gamma2
• AP-1
• c-Jun
• NF-kappaB1
• PPAR-alpha
• c-Fos

Tissue specificity:

Expressed in many epithelial and some endothelial and smooth muscle cells.

Molecular Function:

• Calcium Ion Binding

Biological Processes:

• Actin Filament Organization
• Cell Adhesion
• Homophilic Cell Adhesion Via Plasma Membrane Adhesion Molecules
• Establishment Or Maintenance Of Cell Polarity
• Cell-Cell Signaling
• Anatomical Structure Morphogenesis
• Single Organismal Cell-Cell Adhesion