Cadherin-13 is a member of the type I cadherin family that functions in calcium dependent homophilic cell adhesion. It is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchored protein that shares five extracellular cadherin repeats with other type I cadherins, but it lacks the transmembrane and cytosolic domains. Cadherin-13 has been shown to localize within lipid rafts of the plasma membrane. It is targeted to the apical surface in polarized epithelial cells and redistributed to the leading edge of migrating cells. Cadherin-13 is widely expressed in the brain and in the cardiovascular system. It is a putative mediator of cell-cell interaction in the heart and may act as a negative regulator of neural cell growth. When Cadherin-13 is expressed on endothelial cells, it promotes angiogenesis whereas its expression on stromal cells inhibits neovascularization. Cadherin-13 also induces detachment of endothelial cells via RhoA and Rac dependent mechanisms. The expression of Cadherin-13 is regulated by growth factor signals and oxidative stress. Cadherin-13 may function as a receptor for the oligomeric forms of adiponectin/Acrp30 and for low-density lipoproteins.