Cell adhesion
Cell adhesion protein E-cadherin is indispensable for a robust pluripotent phenotype. During reprogramming for iPS cell generation, N-cadherin can replace function of E-cadherin. These functions of cadherins are not directly related to adhesion because sphere morphology helps maintaining the "stemness" of stem cells. Moreover, sphere formation, due to forced growth of cells on a low attachment surface, sometimes induces reprogramming. For example, neural progenitor cells can be generated from fibroblasts directly through a physical approach without introducing exogenous reprogramming factors.