title: Developmentally dynamic colocalization patterns of DSCAM with adhesion and synaptic proteins in the mouse retina.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The Down syndrome cell adhesion molecule (Dscam) gene is required for normal dendrite arborization and lamination in the mouse retina. In this study, we characterized the developmental localization of the DSCAM protein to better understand the postnatal stages of retinal development during which laminar disorganization occur in the absence of the protein.
  
  
  METHODS
  Immunohistochemistry and colocalization analysis software were used to assay the localization of the DSCAM protein during development of the retina.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that DSCAM was initially localized diffusely throughout mouse retinal neurites but then adopted a punctate distribution. DSCAM colocalized with catenins in the adult retina but was not detected at the active zone of chemical synapses, electrical synapses, and tight junctions. Further analysis identified a wave of colocalization between DSCAM and numerous synaptic and junction proteins coinciding with synaptogenesis between bipolar and retinal ganglion cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Research presented in this study expands our understanding of DSCAM function by characterizing its location during the development of the retina and identifies temporally regulated localization patterns as an important consideration in understanding the function of adhesion molecules in neural development.
authors.affiliation: University of Idaho, Department of Biological Sciences, Moscow, ID ; CAPES Foundation, Ministry of Education of Brazil, Brasília-DF, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gabriel Belem
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: de Andrade
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Brigham Young University, Idaho, Rexburg, ID.
authors.forename: Landon
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kunzelman
authors.affiliation: University of Idaho, Department of Biological Sciences, Moscow, ID.
authors.forename: Morgan M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Merrill
authors.affiliation: University of Idaho, Department of Biological Sciences, Moscow, ID ; University of Washington School of Medicine, WWAMI Medical Education Program, Moscow, ID.
authors.forename: Peter G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Fuerst
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D051177:Catenins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D003712:Dendrites / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009154:Mutation; D016501:Neurites / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D055495:Neurogenesis / Q000235:genetics*; D051245:Retinal Bipolar Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013569:Synapses / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D019108:Tight Junctions / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D051177:Catenins; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; C491735:Dscam protein, mouse