A large family of Dscam genes with tandemly arrayed 5′ cassettes in Chelicerata

Yuan Yue, Yijun Meng, Hongru Ma, Shouqing Hou, Guozheng Cao, Weiling Hong, Yang Shi, Pengjuan Guo, Baoping Liu, Feng Shi, Yun Yang and Yongfeng Jin ()
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Yuan Yue: Institute of Biochemistry, Innovation Center for Signaling Network, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University
Yijun Meng: College of Life and Environmental Sciences
Hongru Ma: Institute of Biochemistry, Innovation Center for Signaling Network, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University
Shouqing Hou: Institute of Biochemistry, Innovation Center for Signaling Network, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University
Guozheng Cao: Institute of Biochemistry, Innovation Center for Signaling Network, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University
Weiling Hong: Institute of Biochemistry, Innovation Center for Signaling Network, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University
Yang Shi: Institute of Biochemistry, Innovation Center for Signaling Network, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University
Pengjuan Guo: Institute of Biochemistry, Innovation Center for Signaling Network, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University
Baoping Liu: Institute of Biochemistry, Innovation Center for Signaling Network, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University
Feng Shi: Institute of Biochemistry, Innovation Center for Signaling Network, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University
Yun Yang: Institute of Biochemistry, Innovation Center for Signaling Network, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University
Yongfeng Jin: Institute of Biochemistry, Innovation Center for Signaling Network, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University

Nature Communications, 2016, vol. 7, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Abstract Drosophila Dscam1 (Down Syndrome Cell Adhesion Molecules) and vertebrate clustered protocadherins (Pcdhs) are two classic examples of the extraordinary isoform diversity from a single genomic locus. Dscam1 encodes 38,016 distinct isoforms via mutually exclusive splicing in D. melanogaster, while the vertebrate clustered Pcdhs utilize alternative promoters to generate isoform diversity. Here we reveal a shortened Dscam gene family with tandemly arrayed 5′ cassettes in Chelicerata. These cassette repeats generally comprise two or four exons, corresponding to variable Immunoglobulin 7 (Ig7) or Ig7–8 domains of Drosophila Dscam1. Furthermore, extraordinary isoform diversity has been generated through a combination of alternating promoter and alternative splicing. These sDscams have a high sequence similarity with Drosophila Dscam1, and share striking organizational resemblance to the 5′ variable regions of vertebrate clustered Pcdhs. Hence, our findings have important implications for understanding the functional similarities between Drosophila Dscam1 and vertebrate Pcdhs, and may provide further mechanistic insights into the regulation of isoform diversity.

Date: 2016
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms11252

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