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. M-cadherin is part of the myogenic program and may provide a trigger for terminal muscle differentiation. Expressed in the brain and cerebellum. Three calcium ions are usually bound at the interface of each cadherin domain and rigidify the connections, imparting a strong curvature to the full-length ectodomain. A chromosomal aberration involving CDH15 and KIRREL3 is found in a patient with severe intellectual disability and dysmorphic facial features. Translocation t(11;16)(q24.2;q24). The disease is caused by variants affecting the gene represented in this entry.