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. E-cadherin is a ligand for integrin alpha-E/beta-7. Homodimer. Interacts with CTNNA2. Non-neural epithelial tissues. 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.