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. First expressed in splanchnic mesoderm of stage 4 embryos. At stage 6, strongly expressed along the neural fold in a region corresponding to the future neural crest. Expression in the neural fold continues during closure of the neural tube but diminishes after neural crest cells have left the neural tube. 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.