Alternative splicing at the Drosophila Down syndrome cell adhesion molecule gene generates 38,016 isoforms, and underlies self-avoidance of growing neurons. Wang et al. identify a structure in the DSCAM mRNA that ensures mutually exclusive splicing and observe expansion of the structure with increasing number of exons during arthropod evolution.
- Xuebin Wang
- Guoli Li
- Yongfeng Jin