Type I cadherins are required for differentiation and coordinated rotation in Xenopus laevis somitogenesis.

In Xenopus laevis somitogenesis, somitic blocks undergo coordinated movements resulting in their detachment from the rest of the mesodermal ridge, followed by a 90 degrees rotation of the entire metamere. Here we investigated the function of type I cadherins in somitogenesis. Type I cadherins are Ca(2+)-dependent cell-cell adhesion molecules concentrated in the adherens junctions and highly expressed in the somitic tissue.