PCDHA4 and parasitic infectious disease: We also showed that this enzyme efficiently cleaves three endothelial or epithelial adhesion or junction proteins: loop 1 of occludin, cadherin 17 (VE-cadherin) and protocadherin alpha 4, indicating that these three may be the prime targets for the observed rapid increase in intestinal permeability upon mucosal MC granule release as response to parasite infections.