The intracellular regions of cadherins interact with a number of cytoplasmic proteins, the best characterized of which are catenins like b-catenin, plakoglobin and p120. Through interaction with cytosolic proteins and cytoskeletal elements cadherins coordinate a large range of cellular functions including cytoskeletal reorganization and signal transduction. Cadherins have been reported to modulate a number of signaling cascades including the MAPK signalling, Fgf signalling and VEGF signalling. Although cadherins were originally named after the tissue in which they were found most prominently, it is now well established that most cadherins are expressed in many more spatio-temporal domains than originally appreciated. During embryogenesis, different tissues are sculpted through series of morphogenetic events. The tissue architectures thus defined are largely maintained throughout life. Thus it is important to study the tissue specific dynamics of cadherin PETCM expression during its formation. A comprehensive study reporting the expression patterns of cadherins or protocadherins during the embryonic development of any organism is awaited. Such data can provide important correlative evidence for the roles of cadherins in mediating specific morphogenetic events. In several developmental contexts cadherins and protocadherins are known to play critical roles. However, our understanding of functional importance of these molecules during embryonic development is far from being comprehensive. Information regarding spatio-temporally PD 146176 restricted domains of expression of a given molecule provides the context in which such studies may be undertaken. The spatio-temporally restricted domains of expression of cadherins and protocadherins uncovered in this study provide such contexts in which the functional roles of these molecules may be investigated. At present most of these molecules are named after the tissue wherein the expression of the gene was first observed. For example, Cdh1 is also known as the epithelial cadherin, Cdh2 is also known as the neural cadherin, Cdh4 as the retinal cadherin etc. However, our expression screen, conducted during the course of embryonic development, reveals that these molecules are in fact expressed in many more and different tissues. Thus, osteoblast cadherin might be playing important roles in other tissues where it is shown to be expressed in our study. In the context of limb, the expression is observed as early as HH18, when no osteoblast cells are known to be present. This indicates the possibility that Cdh11 functions in some non-osteoblast cell types as well during early stages of development.