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

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

10-23-2018

JAX Source

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018 Oct 823; 115(43):E10216-10224

Volume

115

Issue

43

First Page

10216

Last Page

10216

ISSN

1091-6490

PMID

30297418

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1809430115

Grant

NS054154,EY021942,HD7065,CA34196

Abstract

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 syndrome cell adhesion molecule 1) in Drosophila Isoform choice differs between neighboring cells, allowing neurons to distinguish "self" from "nonself". In the mouse retina, Dscam promotes self-avoidance at the level of cell types, but without extreme isoform diversity. Therefore, we hypothesize that DSCAM is a general self-avoidance cue that "masks" other cell type-specific adhesion systems to prevent overly exuberant adhesion. Here, we provide in vivo and in vitro evidence that DSCAM masks the functions of members of the cadherin superfamily, supporting this hypothesis. Thus, unlike the isoform-rich molecules tasked with self-avoidance at the individual cell level, here the diversity resides on the adhesive side, positioning DSCAM as a generalized modulator of cell adhesion during neural development.

Comments

We thank Keith Sheppard for assistance with Image Echelon, and our colleagues at The Jackson Laboratory for performing image comparisons. We also thank Dr. Joshua Sanes and Dr. Joshua Weiner and members of the R.W.B. laboratory for helpful discussion of the manuscript.

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