Mapping of a cadherin gene cluster to a region of chromosome 5 subject to frequent allelic loss in carcinoma

Cadherin adhesion molecules define cellular interactions during embryogenesis and morphogenesis, while later in life they are responsible for maintaining tissue integrity. Mutation and loss of expression of cadherins have been implicated in the progression of some malignant tumors, suggesting that cadherins may also act as tumor/metastasis suppressor genes. To determine the extent to which cadherin loci could be affected by allelic losses, we used radiation hybrid mapping to define the chromosomal position of five cadherin genes. A cadherin gene cluster consisting of three genes was identified on the short arm of chromosome 5. This region of the genome is subjected to frequent allelic loss in malignant disease.