這個基因是果蠅脂肪基因的一個直系同源基因，它編碼一種在果蠅發育過程中控制細胞增殖所必需的腫瘤抑制因子。該基因產物是鈣粘蛋白超家族的一員，是一組完整的膜蛋白，具有鈣粘蛋白型重復序列。該基因產物除含有34個鈣黏蛋白串聯型重復序列外，還含有5個表皮生長因子（egf）樣重復序列和1個層粘連蛋白a-g結構域。該基因在一些胎兒上皮中高水平表達。其產物可能作為粘附分子和/或信號受體發揮作用，在發育過程和細胞通訊中可能起重要作用。來自選擇性剪接和/或選擇性啟動子使用的轉錄變體存在，但尚未完全描述。[由RefSeq提供，2008年7月]
This gene is an ortholog of the Drosophila fat gene, which encodes a tumor suppressor essential for controlling cell proliferation during Drosophila development. The gene product is a member of the cadherin superfamily, a group of integral membrane proteins characterized by the presence of cadherin-type repeats. In addition to containing 34 tandem cadherin-type repeats, the gene product has five epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like repeats and one laminin A-G domain. This gene is expressed at high levels in a number of fetal epithelia. Its product probably functions as an adhesion molecule and/or signaling receptor, and is likely to be important in developmental processes and cell communication. Transcript variants derived from alternative splicing and/or alternative promoter usage exist, but they have not been fully described. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008]