Dscam and Sidekick proteins direct lamina-specific synaptic connections in vertebrate retina

Masahito Yamagata and Joshua R. Sanes ()
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Masahito Yamagata: Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
Joshua R. Sanes: Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA

Nature, 2008, vol. 451, issue 7177, 465-469

Abstract: Making connections Downs syndrome cell adhesion molecules (Dscams) are adhesion molecules of the immunoglolulin superfamily. Drosophila Dscams have been implicated in the organization of neural connectivity, but little is known about the functions of the closely related molecules in vertebrates. Masahito Yamagata and Joshua Sanes now demonstrate a role for Dscam and DscamL in patterning of lamina-specific connections in the chick retina. Two other adhesion molecules, called Sidekick-1 and Sidekick-2, act in a similar way. These molecules are widely distributed in the nervous system and may be part of an 'adhesive code' that patterns neural connections in the brain. Further evidence for the importance of Dscams in vertebrate neural patterning comes from Fuerst et al., who identify a role for DSCAM in establishing neural circuits in the retina of mice.

Date: 2008
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DOI: 10.1038/nature06469

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