Dscam mutation leads to hydrocephalus and decreased motor function
Yiliang Xu1, Haihong Ye, Yan Shen
1National Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
Abstract:
The nervous system is one of the most complicated organ systems in invertebrates and vertebrates. Down syndrome cell adhesion molecule (DSCAM) of the immunoglobulin (Ig) superfamily is expressed widely in the nervous system during embryonic development. Previous studies in Drosophila suggest that Dscam plays important roles in neural development including axon branching, dendritic tiling and cell spacing. However, the function of the mammalian DSCAM gene in the formation of the nervous system remains unclear. Here, we show that Dscam ( del17 ) mutant mice exhibit severe hydrocephalus, decreased motor function and impaired motor learning ability. Our data indicate that the mammalian DSCAM gene is critical for the formation of the central nervous system.
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