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 (PubMed:24725409).
May also play a role in cell-cell adhesion and contact inhibition in epithelial cells (PubMed:12117771).
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