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 direct...

The diverse functions of Notch signalling imply that it must elicit context-specific programmes of gene expression. With the aim of investigating how Notch drives cells to differentiate, we have used a genome-wide approach to identify direct Notch targets in Drosophila haemocytes (blood cells), where Notch promotes crystal cell differentiation. Many of the identified Notch-regulated enhancers c...

Notch signaling induced by cell surface ligands is critical to development and maintenance of many eukaryotic organisms. Notch and its ligands are integral membrane proteins that facilitate direct cell-cell interactions to activate Notch proteolysis and release the intracellular domain that directs Notch-specific cellular responses. Genetic studies suggest that Notch ligands require endocytosis...

Receptors of the LIN-12/Notch family mediate cell-cell interactions during animal development, and aberrations in LIN-12/Notch signaling have been implicated in human disease. Studies in C. elegans have been instrumental in defining the basic features of the LIN-12/Notch pathway, the role of LIN-12/Notch proteins as receptors for intercellular signals, the mechanism of signal transduction, and ...

Cutaneous β-human papillomavirus (β-HPV) E6 proteins inhibit NOTCH signaling by associating with the transcriptional coactivator MAML1. NOTCH has tumor suppressor activities in epithelial cells and is activated during keratinocyte differentiation. Here we report that HPV type 8 (HPV8) E6 subverts NOTCH activation during keratinocyte differentiation by inhibiting RBPJ/MAML1 transcriptional activ...

Hematopoietic stem cells are formed during embryonic development, and serve as the foundation of the definitive blood program for life. Notch signaling has been well established as an essential direct contributor to HSC specification. However, several recent studies have indicated that the contribution of Notch signaling is complex. HSC specification requires multiple Notch signaling inputs, so...

The Notch signaling pathway plays fundamental roles in diverse developmental processes. Studies of the basic biology of Notch function have provided insights into how its dysfunction contributes to multi-systemic diseases and cancer. In addition, our understanding of Notch signaling in maintaining stem/progenitor cell populations is revealing new avenues for rekindling regeneration. The Notch I...

Notch signaling regulates multiple developmental processes and is implicated in various human diseases. Through use of the Notch transcriptional co-activator mastermind, we conducted a screen for Notch signal modifiers using the Exelixis collection of insertional mutations, which affects approximately 50% of the Drosophila genome, recovering 160 genes never before associated with Notch, extendi...

TheNotch signaling pathway represents a critical component in the molecular circuits that control cell fate during development. Aberrant activation of this pathway contributes to tumorigenesis. The role of Notch in human cancer has been highlighted recently by the presence of activating mutations and amplification of Notch genes in human cancer and by the demonstration that genes in the Notch s...