BIOL 113 |
| Notch proteins constitute the transmembrane receptors of an essential signaling pathway that is highly conserved in organisms ranging from sea urchins to humans. These receptors typically transmit signals between neighboring cells, influencing cell fate decisions during development and in the adult organism in a wide range of cells and tissue types. Binding of ligands to Notch receptors activates signal transduction by inducing a proteolytic cascade that ultimately releases the intracellular portion of the receptor from the membrane, allowing it to translocate into the nucleus, assemble a transcription complex, and turn on the expression of target genes. The work to be discussed will emphasize our progress in elucidating the mechanistic basis underlying two central facets of Notch signal transduction: 1) how Notch receptors are maintained in a proteolytically resistant form prior to ligand stimulation, and 2) how Notch nuclear complexes assemble to induce target gene transcription. These studies have implications not only for how Notch signals are normally regulated, but also for how mutated forms of Notch receptors found in pathogenic states like cancer circumvent normal restraints on signaling to promote cellular proliferation. |
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Murray Goodman Award Symposium
2:00 PM-4:40 PM, Monday, August 20, 2007 BCEC -- 109 A/B, Oral
Division of Biological Chemistry |