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Related Concept Videos

Contact-dependent Signaling01:19

Contact-dependent Signaling

Contact-dependent signaling, as the name suggests, requires that communicating cells be in direct contact with each other. This is achieved either through receptor-ligand interactions or by specialized cytoplasmic channels that allow the flow of small molecules between cells. In animal cells, channels called gap junctions facilitate contact-dependent signaling in certain tissues, whereas, plasmodesmata perform a similar function in plants.
Gap Junctions
In animal cells, gap junctions are formed...
Notch Signaling Pathway03:14

Notch Signaling Pathway

The Notch signaling pathway is a major intracellular signaling pathway that is highly conserved over a broad spectrum of metazoan species. It stands unique from other intracellular signaling mechanisms in animals because notch protein itself acts as the receptor as well as the primary signaling molecule.
The Notch gene came into the limelight in 1914 after the discovery that its mutation in Drosophila melanogaster leads to a serrated (or "notched") wing margin phenotype. It was not until 1985...
Hedgehog Signaling Pathway02:33

Hedgehog Signaling Pathway

The Hedgehog gene (Hh) was first discovered due to its control of the growth of disorganized, hair-like bristles phenotype in Drosophila, much like hedgehog spines. Hh plays a crucial role in the development of organs and the maintenance of homeostasis in both invertebrates and vertebrates. However, while Drosophila has only one Hh protein, mammals have multiple functional Hedgehog proteins - Sonic (Shh), Desert (Dhh), and Indian Hedgehog (Ihh). All of these homologous proteins have adapted to...
Interactions Between Signaling Pathways01:19

Interactions Between Signaling Pathways

Signaling cascades usually lack linearity. Multiple pathways interact and regulate one another, allowing cells to integrate and respond to diverse environmental stimuli.
Convergence and divergence, and cross-talk between signaling pathways
Two distinct signaling pathways can converge on a single functional unit, which may either be a single protein or a complex of proteins. The response is either functionally distinct or synergistic between the two pathways but different from the response...
Notch Signaling Pathway03:14

Notch Signaling Pathway

The Notch signaling pathway is a major intracellular signaling pathway that is highly conserved over a broad spectrum of metazoan species. It stands unique from other intracellular signaling mechanisms in animals because notch protein itself acts as the receptor as well as the primary signaling molecule.
The Notch gene came into the limelight in 1914 after the discovery that its mutation in Drosophila melanogaster leads to a serrated (or "notched") wing margin phenotype. It was not until 1985...
Role Of Notch Signalling In Intestinal Stem Cell Renewal01:12

Role Of Notch Signalling In Intestinal Stem Cell Renewal

Notch signaling was first discovered in Drosophila melanogaster, where it is involved in cell lineage differentiation. Notch signaling regulates the maintenance and differentiation of intestinal stem cells or ISCs by controlling the expression of atonal homolog 1 or Atoh1. Atoh1 directs cells to differentiate into secretory cells.
Direct cell-to-cell contact is needed for the activation of Notch signaling. The signal is initiated when a notch ligand binds to a receptor on an adjacent cell, also...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 10, 2026

Stimulation of Notch Signaling in Mouse Osteoclast Precursors
08:01

Stimulation of Notch Signaling in Mouse Osteoclast Precursors

Published on: February 28, 2017

Cis-interactions between Notch and Delta generate mutually exclusive signalling states.

David Sprinzak1, Amit Lakhanpal, Lauren Lebon

  • 1Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Division of Biology and Department of Applied Physics, California Institute of Technology, 1200 East California Boulevard, Pasadena, California 91125, USA.

Nature
|April 27, 2010
PubMed
Summary

The Notch-Delta signaling pathway uses cis-inhibition and trans-activation for cell communication. This study reveals an ultrasensitive switch mechanism driving pattern formation in developing tissues.

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Cell Aggregation Assays to Evaluate the Binding of the Drosophila Notch with Trans-Ligands and its Inhibition by Cis-Ligands
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Cell Aggregation Assays to Evaluate the Binding of the Drosophila Notch with Trans-Ligands and its Inhibition by Cis-Ligands

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Real-time Bioluminescence Imaging of Notch Signaling Dynamics during Murine Neurogenesis
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Real-time Bioluminescence Imaging of Notch Signaling Dynamics during Murine Neurogenesis

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 10, 2026

Stimulation of Notch Signaling in Mouse Osteoclast Precursors
08:01

Stimulation of Notch Signaling in Mouse Osteoclast Precursors

Published on: February 28, 2017

Cell Aggregation Assays to Evaluate the Binding of the Drosophila Notch with Trans-Ligands and its Inhibition by Cis-Ligands
05:48

Cell Aggregation Assays to Evaluate the Binding of the Drosophila Notch with Trans-Ligands and its Inhibition by Cis-Ligands

Published on: January 2, 2018

Real-time Bioluminescence Imaging of Notch Signaling Dynamics during Murine Neurogenesis
10:25

Real-time Bioluminescence Imaging of Notch Signaling Dynamics during Murine Neurogenesis

Published on: December 12, 2019

Area of Science:

  • Cellular and Developmental Biology
  • Biophysics
  • Systems Biology

Background:

  • The Notch-Delta signaling pathway is crucial for cell-cell communication during development, regulating cell fate decisions and tissue patterning.
  • Delta ligand exhibits dual activity: trans-activating Notch in adjacent cells and cis-inhibiting Notch in the same cell.
  • The integration of these dual activities and their role in pattern formation remain incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the quantitative dynamics of Notch-Delta signaling in individual mammalian cells.
  • To elucidate how the system integrates cis- and trans-Delta activities to achieve pattern formation.
  • To understand the input-output relationship of the Notch-Delta system.

Main Methods:

  • Development of a quantitative time-lapse microscopy platform for real-time analysis of Notch-Delta signaling dynamics.
  • Controlled manipulation of cis- and trans-Delta concentrations.
  • Monitoring of a Notch reporter dynamics to measure the system's response.

Main Results:

  • Notch response to trans-Delta is graded, while the response to cis-Delta is sharp and threshold-dependent.
  • A mathematical model demonstrated that mutual inactivation of Notch and Delta proteins creates an ultrasensitive switch.
  • This switch enables amplification of cell-cell differences and formation of sharp boundaries and lateral inhibition patterns.

Conclusions:

  • The Notch-Delta system functions as an ultrasensitive switch, facilitating pattern formation through mutual protein inactivation.
  • This mechanism explains how sharp boundaries and lateral inhibition patterns emerge during development.
  • The findings provide insights into developmental processes and previously unexplained mutant phenotypes.