Developmental Signals - Notch

Introduction

The notch proteins were first identified in drosophila development and have since been identified as regulators of cell fate decisions during development. These are a family of cell surface proteins that act as single-pass transmembrane receptors.

Some Recent Findings

Notch pathway regulation of chondrocyte differentiation and proliferation during appendicular and axial skeleton development "The role of Notch signaling in cartilage differentiation and maturation in vivo was examined. Conditional Notch pathway gain and loss of function was achieved using a Cre/loxP approach to manipulate Notch signaling in cartilage precursors and chondrocytes of the developing mouse embryo. Conditional overexpression of activated Notch intracellular domain (NICD) in the chondrocyte lineage results in skeletal malformations with decreased cartilage precursor proliferation and inhibited hypertrophic chondrocyte differentiation. Likewise, expression of NICD in cartilage precursors inhibits sclerotome differentiation, resulting in severe axial skeleton abnormalities. Furthermore, conditional loss of Notch signaling via RBP-J gene deletion in the chondrocyte lineage results in increased chondrocyte proliferation and skeletal malformations consistent with the observed increase in hypertrophic chondrocytes. In addition, the Notch pathway inhibits expression of Sox9 and its target genes required for normal chondrogenic cell proliferation and differentiation. Together, our results demonstrate that appropriate Notch pathway signaling is essential for proper chondrocyte progenitor proliferation and for the normal progression of hypertrophic chondrocyte differentiation into bone in the developing appendicular and axial skeletal elements." Notch signalling in the paraxial mesoderm is most sensitive to reduced Pofut1 levels during early mouse development "Notch-dependent processes apparently differ with respect to their requirement for levels of POFUT1. Normal Lfng expression and anterior-posterior somite patterning is highly sensitive to reduced POFUT1 levels in early mammalian embryos, whereas other early Notch-dependent processes such as establishment of left-right asymmetry or neurogenesis are not. Thus, it appears that in the presomitic mesoderm (PSM) Notch signalling is particularly sensitive to POFUT1 levels. Reduced POFUT1 levels might affect Notch trafficking or overall O-fucosylation. Alternatively, reduced O-fucosylation might preferentially affect sites that are substrates for LFNG and thus important for somite formation and patterning."

Functions

Developmental patterning signal.

References

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Cite this page: Hill, M.A. (2024, April 19) Embryology Developmental Signals - Notch. Retrieved from https://embryology.med.unsw.edu.au/embryology/index.php/Developmental_Signals_-_Notch

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© Dr Mark Hill 2024, UNSW Embryology ISBN: 978 0 7334 2609 4 - UNSW CRICOS Provider Code No. 00098G