Protocadherin 7 (PCDH7)

Protocadherin-7 is a protein belongs to the protocadherin gene family, a subfamily of the cadherin superfamily. The gene encodes a protein with an extracellular domain containing 7 cadherin repeats. The gene product is an integral membrane protein that is thought to function in cell-cell recognition and adhesion. Alternative splicing yields isoforms with unique cytoplasmic tails.

Protocadherins were discovered by Shintaro Suzuki's group, when they used PCR to find new members of the cadherin family. This prevalence in a wide range of species suggested that the fragments were part of an ancient cadherin and were thus termed "Protocadherins" as the "first cadherins".