The neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) exists in several isoforms which are selectively expressed by different cell types and at different stages of development. In the mouse, three proteins with apparent Mr's of 180,000, 140,000 and 120,000 have been distinguished that are encoded by 4-5 different mRNAs. Here we report the full amino acid sequence of a NCAM protein inferred from the sequences of overlapping cDNA clones. The 706-residue polypeptide contains, towards its N-terminus, 5 domains that share structural homology with members of the immunoglobulin supergene family. The sequence does not encode a typical membrane-spanning segment, but ends with 24 uncharged amino acids followed by two stop codons. This fact, together with size considerations, make it highly likely that our sequence represents NCAM-120, which lacks transmembrane or cytoplasmic domains and is attached to the membrane by phospholipid. Probes from the 5' region detect all four NCAM gene transcripts present in mouse brain consistent with the notion that the extracellular domains are common to most NCAM forms. However, a 3' probe corresponding to the hydrophobic tail and non-coding region hybridizes specifically with the smallest mRNA species. S1 nuclease protection experiments indicate that this region is encoded by exon(s) spliced out from the other mRNAs. Furthermore, our clones that are highly homologous to a published chicken NCAM sequence which codes for putative transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains elsewhere, diverge from it at the presumptive splice junction. It appears thus that alternate use of exons determines whether NCAM proteins with membrane-spanning domains are synthesized.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)