Cell adhesion molecule DSCAM

Cell adhesion molecule that plays a role in neuronal self-avoidance. Promotes repulsion between specific neuronal processes of either the same cell or the same subtype of cells. Mediates within retinal amacrine and ganglion cell subtypes both isoneuronal self-avoidance for creating an orderly dendritic arborization and heteroneuronal self-avoidance to maintain the mosaic spacing between amacrine and ganglion cell bodies. Receptor for netrin required for axon guidance independently of and in collaboration with the receptor DCC. Might also collaborate with UNC5C in NTN1-mediated axon repulsion independently of DCC (By similarity). In spinal cord development plays a role in guiding commissural axons projection and pathfinding across the ventral midline to reach the floor plate upon ligand binding. Mediates intracellular signaling by stimulating the activation of MAPK8 and MAP kinase p38. Adhesion molecule that promotes lamina-specific synaptic connections in the retina: expressed in specific subsets of interneurons and retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and promotes synaptic connectivity via homophilic interactions (By similarity).