Context-Dependent Functional Divergence of the Notch Ligands DLL1 and DLL4 In Vivo.

ABSTRACT: Notch signalling is a fundamental pathway that shapes the developing embryo and sustains adult tissues by direct communication between ligand and receptor molecules on adjacent cells. Among the ligands are two Delta paralogues, DLL1 and DLL4, that are conserved in mammals and share a similar structure and sequence. They activate the Notch receptor partly in overlapping expression domains where they fulfil redundant functions in some processes (e.g. maintenance of the crypt cell progenitor pool). In other processes, however, they appear to act differently (e.g. maintenance of foetal arterial identity) raising the questions of how similar DLL1 and DLL4 really are and which mechanism causes the apparent context-dependent divergence. By analysing mice that conditionally overexpress DLL1 or DLL

SUBMITTER: Preuße K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4482573 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature