Protocadherin alpha-7 is 1 of 15 tandemly arranged genes within the PCDHA gene cluster. These 15 N-terminal \'variable\' exons are individually spliced to a downstream C-terminal constant region to form distinct PCDHA transcripts. The large, uninterrupted N-terminal exons each encode six cadherin ectodomains while the C-terminal exons encode the cytoplasmic domain.The PCDH proteins are cadherin-like cell surface proteins that are expressed in neurons and are present at synaptic junctions. These neural cadherin-like cell adhesion proteins most likely play a critical role in the establishment and function of specific cell-cell connections in the brain.