Intermicrovillar adhesion molecule that forms, via its extracellular domain, calcium-dependent heterophilic complexes with CDHR5 on adjacent microvilli. Thereby, controls the packing of microvilli at the apical membrane of epithelial cells. Through its cytoplasmic domain, interacts with microvillus cytoplasmic proteins to form the intermicrovillar adhesion complex/IMAC. This complex plays a central role in microvilli and epithelial brush border differentiation . May also play a role in cell-cell adhesion and contact inhibition in epithelial cells .
Apical cell membrane ; Single-pass type I membrane protein . Cell projection, microvillus membrane ; Single-pass type I membrane protein . Cell junction .
Highly expressed in liver, kidney and colon. Moderately expressed in small intestine. Down-regulated in a number of liver and colon cancers (PubMed:12117771, PubMed:15534908). Expressed in duodenum with higher expression in enterocytes along the villus axis and lower expression in crypts (at protein level) (PubMed:24725409).
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