In mammalian embryos such as the mouse, the fertilized egg divides three times to form eight loosely packed cells, which become tightly adherent in a process called compaction. In the late 1970s, several laboratories made antibodies against mouse cell surface proteins. The antibodies prevented compaction, as did removal of Ca2+ from the medium. What sort of protein do the antibodies probably recognize and why?
The antibodies are the ones that binds to cadherins, which are the class of cellular adhesion molecules which calcium dependent.
Cadherins which are transmembrane proteins mediate cell–cell adhesion in animals. By regulating contact formation and stability for issue morphogenesis and homeostasis.
Removal of calcium also have the same effect as these proteins are totally dependent on the presence of calcium
In mammalian embryos such as the mouse, the fertilized egg divides three times to form eight...