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Related Experiment Videos

Dscam-mediated repulsion controls tiling and self-avoidance.

S Sean Millard1, S Lawrence Zipursky

  • 1Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.

Current Opinion in Neurobiology
|June 10, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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Neural circuit formation relies on self-avoidance and tiling, mediated by Down syndrome cell adhesion molecule (DSCAM) protein repulsion. In mice, DSCAM appears to govern both processes, unlike in flies.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Molecular Biology
  • Developmental Biology

Background:

  • Neural circuit formation requires precise wiring, guided by self-avoidance and tiling principles.
  • These wiring strategies are established through homophilic repulsion between cell surface proteins, specifically Down syndrome cell adhesion molecule (DSCAM) proteins.
  • In Drosophila, Dscam1 and Dscam2 mediate self-avoidance and tiling, respectively.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the function of DSCAM in neural circuit formation, specifically in self-avoidance and tiling.
  • To compare the roles of DSCAM in different species, particularly Drosophila and mice.

Main Methods:

  • Phenotypic analysis of DSCAM mutant mice retinas.
  • Comparative analysis of DSCAM function across species.

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Main Results:

  • In Drosophila, Dscam1 mediates self-avoidance and Dscam2 mediates tiling.
  • Phenotypes in DSCAM mutant mouse retinas indicate DSCAM functions in both self-avoidance and tiling.
  • Homophilic recognition molecules, previously considered adhesive, can act as repulsive cues.

Conclusions:

  • DSCAM proteins play a specialized role in mediating homophilic repulsion for neural circuit self-avoidance and tiling.
  • The function of DSCAM in self-avoidance and tiling is conserved across species, although specific family members may have diverged.
  • These findings expand the understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying neural wiring.