Notch Signaling

Notch signaling is a conserved developmental pathway involved in cell-cell communication, cell fate, apoptosis, and differentiation. The pathway was originally discovered in Drosophila melanogaster, and mammalian homologs were identified later. Ligands from the Delta and Jagged/Serrate families activate the Notch membrane-bound receptors, inducing cleavage of the Notch intracellular domain. This intracellular domain interacts with the RBPJ family of transcription factors as well as a variety of coactivators and corepressors to regulate target gene transcription. The output of Notch signaling activation is context-dependent, and the proper timing and spatial regulation of its activation is crucial for normal embryonic developmental processes. Notch signaling often cross-talks with 2 other developmental signaling pathways, Hedgehog and WNT. Dysregulation of Notch signaling processes can lead to cancer, while mutations in Notch signaling genes can cause genetic developmental disorders. Analyzing the expression, regulation, and sequence of Notch signaling genes can help determine their relative importance to the biology of the cellular or disease processes under study.

QIAGEN provides a broad range of assay technologies for Notch signaling research that enables analysis of gene expression and regulation, epigenetic modification, genotyping, and signal transduction pathway activation. Solutions optimized for Notch signaling studies include PCR array, miRNA, siRNA, mutation analysis, pathway reporter, chromatin IP, DNA methylation, and protein expression products.