VE-cadherin (vascular endothelial-cadherin) or cadherin-5 (CDH5) belongs to the cadherin family, whose members are transmembrane proteins that serve as the major adhesion molecules located within adherens junctions. CDH5 is essential for endothelial survival []and embryonic development []. It is dispensable for endothelial homophilic adhesion, but is required for vascular morphogenesis [, ].
