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Updated: May 16, 2026

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
A mutation in EGF repeat-8 of Notch discriminates between Serrate/Jagged and Delta family ligands
Shinya Yamamoto1, Wu-Lin Charng, Nadia A Rana
1Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Abstract:
Notch signaling affects many developmental and cellular processes and has been implicated in congenital disorders, stroke, and numerous cancers. The Notch receptor binds its ligands Delta and Serrate and is able to discriminate between them in different contexts. However, the specific domains in Notch responsible for this selectivity are poorly defined. Through genetic screens in Drosophila, we isolated a mutation, Notch(jigsaw), that affects Serrate- but not Delta-dependent signaling. Notch(jigsaw) carries a missense mutation in epidermal growth factor repeat-8 (EGFr-8) and is defective in Serrate binding. A homologous point mutation in mammalian Notch2 also exhibits defects in signaling of a mammalian Serrate homolog, Jagged1. Hence, an evolutionarily conserved valine in EGFr-8 is essential for ligand selectivity and provides a molecular handle to study numerous Notch-dependent signaling events.
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