Specificity
This antibody recognizes a protein of ~140kDa, identified as N-Cadherin (NCAD), also known as CD325. N-cadherin is a 140 kDa protein belonging to a family of transmembrane molecules that mediate calcium-dependent intercellular adhesion. Cadherins are involved in controlling morphogenetic movements during development and regulate cell surface adhesion through homotypic adhesion with the same cadherin species. Expression of N-cadherin has been reported on a variety of normal tissues including neuronal, endothelial and muscle cells, and a subpopulation of early hematopoietic progenitor cells. Results aid in the classification of malignant non-carcinomatous neoplasms including mesotheliomas, chordomas, synovial sarcomas, malignant melanomas, epithelioid sarcomas, epithelioid angiosarcomas, clear cell sarcomas as well as serous and endometrioid tumors of the ovary have been demonstrated to be N-cadherin positive, whereas mucinous tumors are negative. Other N-cadherin-positive neoplasms include renal cell carcinomas and some variant breast tumors, including medullary breast carcinomas and sarcomatoid metaplastic breast carcinomas.