CDH5 and infection: Here, we hypothesize that infection by SFG rickettsiae induces endothelial cells to develop altered junctional protein VE-cadherin in association with phosphorylation of tyrosine residues, so that the Ca2+-dependent, homophilic cis and trans interactions with their extracellular regions [16], [17] are affected or even eliminated, resulting in aberrant properties of junctional complexes.