Dscam in immunity: A question of diversity in insects and crustaceans

Dev Comp Immunol. 2020 Apr:105:103539. doi: 10.1016/j.dci.2019.103539. Epub 2019 Nov 14.

Abstract

In insects and crustaceans, thousands of Down syndrome cell adhesion molecules (Dscam) can be generated by alternative splicing of variable exons from a single-locus gene, Dscam-hv. This extraordinarily versatile gene (38,016 protein isoforms produced in Drosophila) was first proposed to be involved in exon guidance and subsequently implicated in immunity as a hypervariable immune molecule. Almost 20 y after discovery of Dscam-hv, there have been many studies in insects and crustaceans regarding roles of Dscam in immunity, with many similarities and concurrently, many differences. Here, we review the current status of Dscam-hv, presented as a comparison of similarities and differences in insects and crustaceans and discuss hypotheses of Dscam functions in immunity.

Keywords: Crustaceans; Dscam; Immune priming; Innate immune memory; Insects; Invertebrate immunity.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Arthropod Proteins / genetics
  • Arthropod Proteins / immunology*
  • Arthropod Proteins / metabolism
  • Cell Adhesion Molecules / genetics
  • Cell Adhesion Molecules / immunology*
  • Cell Adhesion Molecules / metabolism
  • Crustacea / immunology*
  • Drosophila Proteins / genetics
  • Drosophila Proteins / immunology*
  • Genetic Loci
  • Immunity, Innate
  • Insect Proteins / genetics
  • Insect Proteins / immunology*
  • Insect Proteins / metabolism
  • Insecta / immunology*
  • Protein Conformation
  • Structure-Activity Relationship

Substances

  • Arthropod Proteins
  • Cell Adhesion Molecules
  • Drosophila Proteins
  • Dscam1 protein, Drosophila
  • Insect Proteins