Photoreceptor cadherin (prCAD) is a distinctive cadherin family member that is concentrated
at the base of rod and cone outer segments and is required for their structural integrity.
During retinal development, prCAD localizes to the site of the future outer segment before
rhodopsin or other phototransduction proteins. In vivo, prCAD undergoes a single proteolytic
cleavage that releases the ectodomain as a soluble fragment. The C-terminal fragment
containing the transmembrane and cytosolic domains remains associated with the outer …