Protocadherin-10
Protocadherin-10 (PCDH10), originally identified as OL-protocadherin, is a delta-group protocadherin highly expressed in the developing brain, where it guides neuronal migration, axon targeting, and the formation of thalamocortical and commissural connections. It signals through cadherin repeat-mediated adhesion and interacts with the Wnt-beta-catenin pathway to control progenitor proliferation. In adult tissues PCDH10 expression declines, and the gene is epigenetically silenced by promoter methylation in nasopharyngeal, gastric, and other carcinomas, functioning as a tumor suppressor whose restoration inhibits growth and invasion. These properties make PCDH10 both a neurodevelopmental regulator and a candidate methylation biomarker.
