DSCAM promotes self-avoidance in the developing mouse retina by masking the functions of cadherin superfamily members

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 115; no. 43; pp. E10216 - E10224
• Main Authors: Garrett, Andrew M., Khalil, Andre, Walton, David O., Burgess, Robert W.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States National Academy of Sciences 23.10.2018
• Series: PNAS Plus
• Subjects: Adhesion; Animals; Avoidance; Biological Sciences; Cadherins; Cadherins - metabolism; Cell adhesion; Cell adhesion & migration; Cell Adhesion - physiology; Cell adhesion molecules; Cell Adhesion Molecules - metabolism; Cell Line; Cell Membrane - metabolism; Cell surface; Choice Behavior - physiology; Down's syndrome; Drosophila - metabolism; Drosophila Proteins - metabolism; DSCAM protein; Fruit flies; HEK293 Cells; Humans; Isoforms; Masking; Masks; Mice; Neural cell adhesion molecule; Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules - metabolism; Neurites - metabolism; Neurogenesis - physiology; Neurons; Neurons - metabolism; PNAS Plus; Retina; Retina - metabolism; Rodents; DSCAMs; dendrite fasciculation; cell identity; cadherins; autism

During neural development, self-avoidance ensures that a neuron’s processes arborize to evenly fill a particular spatial domain. At the individual cell level, self-avoidance is promoted by genes encoding cell-surface molecules capable of generating thousands of diverse isoforms, such as Dscam1 (Down...