The most prominent cell-cell adhesion complex is the Adherens Junction. Central to adherens junctions is a protein known as E-cadherin, or epithelial cadherin.

Epithelial cadherin (E-cadherin) is a major adhesion receptor protein which forms a prominent cell-cell adhesion complex called the adherens junction.

It’s possible, says Kriegstein, that the adhesion function is allowing the gap junction to also support signaling through the gap junction channel between the neural stem cell and its daughter neuron.