The role of epigenetic regulation of the calcium dependent cell adhesion molecule, N-cadherin, in cell adhesion will be studied in the chick neural retina. Biochemical studies will be performed to describe the post-translational modification of N- cadherin by phosphorylation and sulfation and the relationship of these post-translational modifications to N-cadherin function will be determined. More generally, these studies will define mechanisms involved in cell-cell interactions that are important to the development of neuronal specificity.
