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. Not detected in fetal, newborn or 7-day-old testis. Present in 21-day-old and adult testes. Levels are 10-fold higher in adult testis than in testis of 21-day-old animals. 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.