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neurotic, a novel maternal neurogenic gene, encodes an O-fucosyltransferase that is essential for Notch-Delta interactions.

Notch signalling, which is highly conserved from nematodes to mammals, plays crucial roles in many developmental processes. In the Drosophila embryo, deficiency in Notch signalling results in neural hyperplasia, commonly referred to as the neurogenic phenotype. We identify a novel maternal neurogenic gene, neurotic, and show that it is essential for Notch signalling. neurotic encodes a Drosophila homolog of mammalian GDP-fucose protein O-fucosyltransferase, which adds fucose sugar to epidermal growth factor-like repeats and is known to play a crucial role in Notch signalling. neurotic functions in a cell-autonomous manner, and genetic epistasis tests reveal that Neurotic is required for the activity of the full-length but not an activated form of Notch. Further, we show that neurotic is required for Fringe activity, which encodes a fucose-specific beta1, 3 N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase, previously shown to modulate Notch receptor activity. Finally, Neurotic is essential for the physical interaction of Notch with its ligand Delta, and for the ability of Fringe to modulate this interaction in Drosophila cultured cells. We present an unprecedented example of an absolute requirement of a protein glycosylation event for a ligand-receptor interaction. Our results suggest that O-fucosylation catalysed by Neurotic is also involved in the Fringe-independent activities of Notch and may provide a novel on-off mechanism that regulates ligand-receptor interactions.

Animals↗

Interplay between Notch signaling and the homeoprotein Xiro1 is required for neural crest induction in Xenopus embryos.

The neural crest is a population of cells that originates at the interface between the neural plate and non-neural ectoderm. Here, we have analyzed the role that Notch and the homeoprotein Xiro1 play in the specification of the neural crest. We show that Xiro1, Notch and the Notch target gene Hairy2A are all expressed in the neural crest territory, whereas the Notch ligands Delta 1 and Serrate are expressed in the cells that surround the prospective crest cells. We have used inducible dominant-negative and activator constructs of both Notch signaling components and Xiro1 to analyze the role of these factors in neural crest specification without interfering with mesodermal or neural plate development. Activation of Xiro1 or Notch signaling led to an enlargement of the neural crest territory, whereas blocking their activity inhibited the expression of neural crest markers. It is known that BMPs are involved in the induction of the neural crest and, thus, we assessed whether these two elements might influence the expression of Bmp4. Activation of Xiro1 and of Notch signaling upregulated Hairy2A and inhibited Bmp4 transcription during neural crest specification. These results, in conjunction with data from rescue experiments, allow us to propose a model wherein Xiro1 lies upstream of the cascade regulating Delta 1 transcription. At the early gastrula stage, the coordinated action of Xiro1, as a positive regulator, and Snail, as a repressor, restricts the expression of Delta 1 at the border of the neural crest territory. At the late gastrula stage, Delta 1 interacts with Notch to activate Hairy2A in the region of the neural fold. Subsequently, Hairy2A acts as a repressor of Bmp4 transcription, ensuring that levels of Bmp4 optimal for the specification of the neural plate border are attained in this region. Finally, the activity of additional signals (WNTs, FGF and retinoic acid) in this newly defined domain induces the production of neural crest cells. These data also highlight the different roles played by BMP in neural crest specification in chick and Xenopus or zebrafish embryos.

Animals↗

Activation and function of Notch at the dorsal-ventral boundary of the wing imaginal disc.

The cells along the dorsoventral boundary of the Drosophila wing imaginal disc have distinctive properties and their specification requires Notch activity. Later in development, these cells will form the wing margin, where sensory organs and specialised trichomes appear in a characteristic pattern. We find that Notch is locally activated in these cells, as demonstrated by the restricted expression of the Enhancer of split proteins in dorsal and ventral cells abutting the D/V boundary throughout the third larval instar. Furthermore other genes identified by their involvement in Notch signaling during neurogenesis, such as Delta and Suppressor of Hairless, also participate in Notch function at the dorsoventral boundary. In addition, Serrate, a similar transmembrane protein to Delta, behaves as a ligand required in dorsal cells to activate Notch at the boundary. Notch gain-of-function alleles in which Notch activity is not restricted to the dorsoventral boundary cause miss-expression of cut and wingless and overgrowth of the disc, illustrating the importance of localised Notch activation for wing development.

Alleles↗

Feedback regulation is central to Delta-Notch signalling required for Drosophila wing vein morphogenesis.

Delta and Notch are required for partitioning of vein and intervein cell fates within the provein during Drosophila metamorphosis. We find that partitioning of these fates is dependent on Delta-mediated signalling from 22 to 30 hours after puparium formation at 25 degrees C. Within the provein, Delta is expressed more highly in central provein cells (presumptive vein cells) and Notch is expressed more highly in lateral provein cells (presumptive intervein cells). Accumulation of Notch in presumptive intervein cells is dependent on Delta signalling activity in presumptive vein cells and constitutive Notch receptor activity represses Delta accumulation in presumptive vein cells. When Delta protein expression is elevated ectopically in presumptive intervein cells, complementary Delta and Notch expression patterns in provein cells are reversed, and vein loss occurs because central provein cells are unable to stably adopt the vein cell fate. Our findings imply that Delta-Notch signalling exerts feedback regulation on Delta and Notch expression during metamorphic wing vein development, and that the resultant asymmetries in Delta and Notch expression underlie the proper specification of vein and intervein cell fates within the provein.

Animals↗

Suppressor of Hairless-independent events in Notch signaling imply novel pathway elements.

The Notch (N) pathway defines an evolutionarily conserved cell signaling mechanism that governs cell fate choices through local cell interactions. The ankyrin repeat region of the Notch receptor is essential for signaling and has been implicated in the interactions between Notch and two intracellular elements of the pathway: Deltex (Dx) and Suppressor of Hairless (Su(H)). Here we examine directly the function of the Notch cdc10/ankyrin repeats (ANK repeats) by transgenic and biochemical analysis. We present evidence implicating the ANK repeats in the regulation of Notch signaling through homotypic interactions. In vivo expression of the Notch ANK repeats reveals a cell non-autonomous effect and elicits mutant phenotypes that indicate the existence of novel downstream events in Notch signaling. These signaling activities are independent of the known effector Su(H) and suggest the existence of yet unidentified Notch pathway components.

Animals↗

A subset of notch functions during Drosophila eye development require Su(H) and the E(spl) gene complex.

The Notch signalling pathway is involved in many processes where cell fate is decided. Previous work showed that Notch is required at successive steps during R8 specification in the Drosophila eye. Initially, Notch enhances atonal expression and promotes atonal function. After atonal autoregulation has been established, Notch signalling represses atonal expression during lateral specification. In this paper we investigate which known components of the Notch pathway are involved in each signalling process. Using clonal analysis we show that a ligand of Notch, Delta, is required along with Notch for both proneural enhancement and lateral specification, while the downstream components Suppressor-of-Hairless and Enhancer-of-Split are involved only in lateral specification. Our data point to a distinct signal transduction pathway during proneural enhancement by Notch. Using misexpression experiments we also show that particular Enhancer-of-split bHLH genes can differ greatly in their contribution to lateral specification.

Animals↗

Notch-Delta signaling induces a transition from mitotic cell cycle to endocycle in Drosophila follicle cells.

In many developmental processes, polyploid cells are generated by a variation of the normal cell cycle called the endocycle in which cells increase their genomic content without dividing. How the transition from the normal mitotic cycle to endocycle is regulated is poorly understood. We show that the transition from mitotic cycle to endocycle in the Drosophila follicle cell epithelium is regulated by the Notch pathway. Loss of Notch function in follicle cells or its ligand Delta function in the underlying germline disrupts the normal transition of the follicle cells from mitotic cycle to endocycle, mitotic cycling continues, leading to overproliferation of these cells. The regulation is at the transcriptional level, as Su(H), a downstream transcription factor in the pathway, is also required cell autonomously in follicle cells for proper transitioning to the endocycle. One target of Notch and Su(H) is likely to be the G2/M cell cycle regulator String, a phosphatase that activates Cdc2 by dephosphorylation. String is normally repressed in the follicle cells just before the endocycle transition, but is expressed when Notch is inactivated. Analysis of the activity of String enhancer elements in follicle cells reveals the presence of an element that promotes expression of String until just before the onset of polyploidy in wild-type follicle cells but well beyond this stage in Notch mutant follicle cells. This suggests that it may be the target of the endocycle promoting activity of the Notch pathway. A second element that is insensitive to Notch regulation promotes String expression earlier in follicle cell development, which explains why Notch, while active at both stages, represses String only at the mitotic cycle-endocycle transition.

Animals↗

The Snail repressor positions Notch signaling in the Drosophila embryo.

The maternal Dorsal nuclear gradient initiates the differentiation of the mesoderm, neurogenic ectoderm and dorsal ectoderm in the precellular Drosophila embryo. Each tissue is subsequently subdivided into multiple cell types during gastrulation. We have investigated the formation of the mesectoderm within the ventral-most region of the neurogenic ectoderm. Previous studies suggest that the Dorsal gradient works in concert with Notch signaling to specify the mesectoderm through the activation of the regulatory gene sim within single lines of cells that straddle the presumptive mesoderm. This model was confirmed by misexpressing a constitutively activated form of the Notch receptor, Notch(IC), in transgenic embryos using the eve stripe2 enhancer. The Notch(IC) stripe induces ectopic expression of sim in the neurogenic ectoderm where there are low levels of the Dorsal gradient. sim is not activated in the ventral mesoderm, due to inhibition by the localized zinc-finger Snail repressor, which is selectively expressed in the ventral mesoderm. Additional studies suggest that the Snail repressor can also stimulate Notch signaling. A stripe2-snail transgene appears to induce Notch signaling in 'naïve' embryos that contain low uniform levels of Dorsal. We suggest that these dual activities of Snail, repression of Notch target genes and stimulation of Notch signaling, help define precise lines of sim expression within the neurogenic ectoderm.

Animals↗

hiiragi, a gene essential for wing development in Drosophila melanogaster, affects the Notch cascade.

A recessive mutation, hiiragiP1, on the second chromosome of Drosophila was obtained by P element insertion mutagenesis. Flies homozygous for hiiragiP1 have notched wing margins. Genetic interactions between hiiragi and the genes that encode components of Notch signaling, such as Notch, Hairless, Serrate and deltex, strongly support the involvement of hiiragi in the signal transduction cascade of Notch. It has been reported that Serrate and Delta, other components of Notch signaling, share EGF-like repeats and a second conserved cysteine-rich motif, and that these components interact physically with the same region of Notch. In hiiragiP1; SerrateD/+ double mutants, we observed synergistic enhancement of the notched phenotype of wing margins. In contrast, Delta FX3 had no phenotypic effect on hiiragiP1 in hiiragiP1; Delta FX3/+ double mutants. Taken together, these results indicate that hiiragi is involved in the Notch signaling cascade induced by Serrate rather than by Delta.

Animals↗

Role of the RAM domain and ankyrin repeats on notch signaling and activity in cells of osteoblastic lineage.

UNLABELLED: Notch proteins belong to a family of single pass transmembrane receptors that are activated after interactions with the membrane-bound ligands Delta and Jagged/Serrate. We determined the pathways responsible for the inhibitory effects of Notch on osteoblastogenesis and the contributions of the RAM domain and ankyrin repeats to this process in cells of the osteoblastic lineage. INTRODUCTION: Notch receptors play a role in osteoblast differentiation. Activation of Notch results in its cleavage and the release of its intracellular domain (NICD), which interacts with the CBF1/RBP-Jkappa, Suppressor of Hairless, Lag-1 (CSL) family of transcription factors. The interaction is presumably mediated by the RBP-Jkappa-associated module (RAM) of NICD, although the role of the ankyrin repeats is uncertain. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To determine the contributions of the RAM domain and ankyrin repeats to the inhibitory effects of Notch on osteoblastogenesis, ST-2 and MC3T3-E1 cells were transfected or transduced with vectors expressing NICD, RAM (NICD DeltaRAM), and ankyrin (NICD DeltaANK) deletion mutants. RESULTS: Notch increased the transactivation of transiently transfected 12xCSL-Luc constructs, containing 12 repeats of an RBP-Jkappa/CSL binding site, and of the hairy and E (spl) (HES)-1 promoter. Deletion of the ankyrin repeats resulted in the loss of 12xCSL-Luc and HES-1 promoter transactivation, whereas deletion of the RAM domain caused a partial loss of 12xCSL-Luc and sustained HES-1 promoter transactivation. NICD overexpression inhibited osteocalcin mRNA levels and alkaline phosphatase activity in ST-2 cells, and deletion of the ankyrin repeats, and to a lesser extent of the RAM domain, resulted in loss of the NICD inhibitory effect. NICD inhibited Wnt signaling and deletion of ankyrin repeats or the RAM domain restored Wnt signaling activity. CONCLUSIONS: The RAM domain and ankyrin repeats are required for Notch signaling and activity, and the CSL pathway is central to the inhibitory effect of Notch on osteoblastogenesis.

Animals↗

Notch promotes neural lineage entry by pluripotent embryonic stem cells.

A central challenge in embryonic stem (ES) cell biology is to understand how to impose direction on primary lineage commitment. In basal culture conditions, the majority of ES cells convert asynchronously into neural cells. However, many cells resist differentiation and others adopt nonneural fates. Mosaic activation of the neural reporter Sox-green fluorescent protein suggests regulation by cell-cell interactions. We detected expression of Notch receptors and ligands in mouse ES cells and investigated the role of this pathway. Genetic manipulation to activate Notch constitutively does not alter the stem cell phenotype. However, upon withdrawal of self-renewal stimuli, differentiation is directed rapidly and exclusively into the neural lineage. Conversely, pharmacological or genetic interference with Notch signalling suppresses the neural fate choice. Notch promotion of neural commitment requires parallel signalling through the fibroblast growth factor receptor. Stromal cells expressing Notch ligand stimulate neural specification of human ES cells, indicating that this is a conserved pathway in pluripotent stem cells. These findings define an unexpected and decisive role for Notch in ES cell fate determination. Limiting activation of endogenous Notch results in heterogeneous lineage commitment. Manipulation of Notch signalling is therefore likely to be a key factor in taking command of ES cell lineage choice.

Animals↗

NOTCH signaling as a novel cancer therapeutic target.

NOTCH-ligand interaction is a highly conserved mechanism that regulates specific cell fate decision during development. In addition to its functions in developmental and cell maturation processes, studies indicate that NOTCH activation plays a role in the onset and progression of many human malignancies. The prevailing new strategy for rationally targeted cancer treatment is aimed at the development of target-selective "smart" drugs on the basis of characterized mechanisms of action. The connection between NOTCH signaling and tumorigenesis suggests that NOTCH may be such a target candidate. Gamma-secretase is a large membrane-integral multisubunit protease complex, which is essential for NOTCH receptor activation. Inhibitors of this enzyme are being developed for Alzheimer's disease, due to its role in cleaving beta-amyloid precursor in the brain. Recently, Gamma-secretase inhibitors (GSIs), as well as various biopharmaceutical or genetic NOTCH signaling inhibitors have been suggested as potential novel cancer therapeutic strategies. This review summarizes the evidence linking NOTCH signaling to several types of cancer, as well as the possible therapeutic indications of NOTCH inhibitors and the challenges facing their clinical development.

Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases↗

Transgenic expression of numb inhibits notch signaling in immature thymocytes but does not alter T cell fate specification.

The conserved adaptor protein Numb is an intrinsic cell fate determinant that functions by antagonizing Notch-mediated signal transduction. The Notch family of membrane receptors controls cell survival and cell fate determination in a variety of organ systems and species. Recent studies have identified a role for mammalian Notch-1 signals at multiple stages of T lymphocyte development. We have examined the role of mammalian Numb (mNumb) as a Notch regulator and cell fate determinant during T cell development. Transgenic overexpression of mNumb under the control of the Lck proximal promoter reduced expression of several Notch-1 target genes, indicating that mNumb antagonizes Notch-1 signaling in vivo. However, thymocyte development, cell cycle, and survival were unperturbed by mNumb overexpression, even though transgenic Numb was expressed at an early stage in thymocyte development (CD4(-)CD8(-)CD3(-) cells that were CD44(+)CD25(+) or CD44(-)CD25(+); double-negative 2/3). Moreover, bone marrow from mNumb transgenic mice showed no defects in thymopoiesis in competitive repopulation experiments. Our results suggest that mNumb functions as a Notch-1 antagonist in immature thymocytes, but that suppression of Notch-1 signaling at this stage does not alter gammadelta/alphabeta or CD4/CD8 T cell fate specification.

Animals↗

Notch signaling in cancer.

Notch signaling plays a key role in the normal development of many tissues and cell types, through diverse effects on differentiation, survival, and/or proliferation that are highly dependent on signal strength and cellular context. Because perturbations in the regulation of differentiation, survival, and/or proliferation underlie malignant transformation, pathophysiologic Notch signals potentially contribute to cancer development in several different ways. Notch signaling was first linked to tumorigenesis through identification of a recurrent t(7;9)(q34;q34.3) chromosomal translocation involving the human Notch1 gene that is found in a small subset of human pre-T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemias (T-ALL).(1) Since this discovery, aberrant Notch signaling has been suggested to be involved in a wide variety of human neoplasms. In this review, we will focus on recent studies linking aberrant Notch signaling with cancer. First, we discuss various mechanisms through which Notch signaling may influence cellular transformation. Then, we critically review literature pertaining to the role of Notch signaling in several cancers, and discuss possible therapeutic targets in the Notch pathway.

Animals↗

Interactions between fibroblast growth factors and Notch regulate neuronal differentiation.

The differentiation of precursor cells into neurons has been shown to be influenced by both the Notch signaling pathway and growth factor stimulation. In this study, the regulation of neuronal differentiation by these mechanisms was examined in the embryonic day 10 neuroepithelial precursor (NEP) population. By downregulating Notch1 expression and by the addition of a Delta1 fusion protein (Delta Fc), it was shown that signaling via the Notch pathway inhibited neuron differentiation in the NEP cells, in vitro. The expression of two of the Notch receptor homologs, Notch1 and Notch3, and the ligand Delta1 in these NEP cells was found to be influenced by a number of different growth factors, indicating a potential interaction between growth factors and Notch signaling. Interestingly, none of the growth factors examined promoted neuron differentiation; however, the fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) 1 and 2 potently inhibited differentiation. FGF1 and FGF2 upregulated the expression of Notch and decreased expression of Delta1 in the NEP cells. In addition, the inhibitory response of the cells to the FGFs could be overcome by downregulating Notch1 expression and by disrupting Notch cleavage and signaling by the ablation of the Presenilin1 gene. These results indicate that FGF1 and FGF2 act via the Notch pathway, either directly or indirectly, to inhibit differentiation. Thus, signaling through the Notch receptor may be a common regulator of neuronal differentiation within the developing forebrain.

Animals↗

Comparative aspects of Notch signaling in lower and higher eukaryotes.

The Drosophila melanogaster Notch gene encodes a receptor that is part of a cell-cell signaling mechanism that is used throughout the development of the fly to regulate a wide variety of cell fate decisions, including some neuronal decisions. The Caenorhabditis elegans Notch-like genes lin-12 and glp-1 play roles that are similar to that of Notch, and studies of this signaling pathway in both organisms have led to models of how the pathway might function. Recent developments in the study of Notch signaling include the isolation of Notch homologs from a variety of vertebrate species. Here we compare what has been learned from studies of Notch-related genes in vertebrates to what is known about Notch signaling in invertebrates, and we discuss the implications of these data for existing models of Notch pathway signaling.

Animals↗

Sex-stratified analyses of femoral intercondylar notch morphology and ACL injury risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is more common in females. Although ACL injury risk is multifactorial, involving neuromuscular, hormonal, and biomechanical factors, femoral intercondylar notch morphology is a proposed non-modifiable anatomical contributor that may help explain this disparity. This review synthesizes evidence on its association with ACL injury risk, analyses stratified by male and female sex. METHODS: A literature search of PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus was conducted through January 2026. After duplicate removal, 527 unique records were screened and 134 full texts assessed for eligibility. Twenty-four studies met inclusion criteria, with 22 providing quantitative data. Data were extracted on ACL-injured (ACLi) and control (ACLc) knees, stratified by sex. RESULTS: ACLi knees had narrower notch widths than ACLc knees in both females (MD -1.74 mm, 95% CI -2.54 to -0.95) and males (MD -1.31 mm, 95% CI -1.94 to -0.68), with substantial heterogeneity (I2 81-95%). NWI differences were significant in males (MD -0.01, 95% CI -0.02 to 0.00) but not females. Limited notch shape data suggested higher ACL injury odds with A-shaped notches in females (OR 2.85, 95% CI 0.07-110.66) and males (OR 1.67, 95% CI 0.00-3.98 × 105). CONCLUSION: Narrower femoral intercondylar notch width was consistently associated with ACL injury in both sexes, whereas findings for NWI and notch shape were limited by heterogeneity and sparse data. These results provide a structured synthesis of sex-specific anatomical risk factors and support femoral notch narrowing as a shared contributor, while highlighting the need for prospective, standardized studies in the future.

Humans↗

Expression of Notch-1 and its ligand Jagged-1 in rat liver during liver regeneration.

The Notch/Jagged signaling pathway is important for cellular differentiation and proliferation. Its dysfunction is associated with human pathologies in several tissues including liver. Point mutations in Jagged-1 gene are the cause for Alagille syndrome, associated with paucity of intrahepatic bile ducts. To determine the putative role of the trans-membrane receptor Notch and its ligand Jagged-1 in liver regeneration, we investigated the expression of Notch and Jagged-1 in rat liver following 2/3 partial hepatectomy. Immunohistochemical staining of normal rat liver showed that Notch was expressed in hepatocytes, bile duct cells and endothelial cells, whereas Jagged-1 was expressed in bile duct cells and hepatocytes. Both Notch-1 and Jagged-1 proteins were upregulated in hepatocytes after partial hepatectomy up to day 4. After partial hepatectomy, nuclear translocation of the intracellular cytoplasmic domain of Notch (NICD) increased and peaked within 15 minutes, indicating the activation of Notch. Expression of the Notch-dependent target gene (HES-1) expression increased within 30-60 minutes. Addition of recombinant Jagged-1 protein to primary cultures of hepatocytes stimulated hepatocyte DNA synthesis. Furthermore, injection of silencing RNA for Notch and Jagged-1 to livers 2 days before partial hepatectomy significantly suppressed proliferation of hepatocytes at days 2 to 4 of the regenerative response. In conclusion, Notch/Jagged signaling pathway is activated during liver regeneration and is potentially contributing to signals affecting cell growth and differentiation.

Animals↗