BackgroundInformation | Notch1isatype1membraneproteinthatservesasareceptorforthemembraneboundligandsjagged-1and-2anddelta-1toregulatecellfatedeterminationthroughtheimplementationofdifferentiation,proliferationandapoptoticprograms.Uponligandbinding,theNotchintracellulardomain(NICD)isreleasedbyproteolyticprocessingandsubsequentlytranslocatestothenucleuswhereitformsatranscriptionallyactivecomplexwithRBP-Jkappatoactivategenesoftheenhancerofsplitlocus.Notch-1mayalsobeinvolvedincellspecificationand/ordifferentiationandbodysegmentdeterminationinthepostimplantationembryo.Intheadultanimal,Notch-1ishighlyexpressedinthebrain,lung,andthymuswithlowerexpressionlevelsinthespleen,bone-marrow,spinalcord,eyes,mammarygland,liver,intestine,skeletalmuscle,kidneyandheart. |