Cadherins are transmembrane proteins that mediate cell–cell adhesion in animals. By
regulating contact formation and stability, cadherins play a crucial role in tissue …

The role of Ca 2+ as a key and pivotal second messenger in cells depends largely on a wide
number of heterogeneous so-called calcium binding proteins (CBP), which have the ability …

Hearing and balance use hair cells in the inner ear to transform mechanical stimuli into
electrical signals. Mechanical force from sound waves or head movements is conveyed to …

Abstract Ca 2+ binding proteins (CBP) are of key importance for calcium to play its role as a
pivotal second messenger. CBP bind Ca 2+ in specific domains, contributing to the …

Cell adhesion proteins play critical roles in positioning cells during development,
segregating cells into distinct tissue compartments and in maintaining tissue integrity. The …

Hair cells, the sensory receptors of the inner ear, respond to mechanical forces originating
from sounds and accelerations. An essential feature of each hair cell is an array of …

Cadherins form a large family of proteins often involved in calcium-dependent cellular
adhesion. Although classical members of the family can provide a physical bond between …

Folded globular proteins are attractive building blocks for biopolymer-based materials, as
their mechanically resistant structures carry out diverse biological functionality. While much …

Tip link filaments convey force and gate inner-ear hair-cell transduction channels to mediate
perception of sound and head movements. Cadherin-23 and protocadherin-15 form tip links …

Animals use acoustic signals to communicate and to obtain information about their
environment. The processing of acoustic signals is initiated at auditory sense organs, where …