A role for Abl in Notch signaling

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Molecular Biology
• Genetics

Background:

• Abl is an axonal tyrosine kinase.
• Notch is a receptor with an incompletely understood signaling pathway.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate the interaction between Notch and Abl mutations.
• Determine the role of Notch and Abl in axon extension.

Main Methods:

• Studied synergistic genetic interactions between Notch and abl mutations in Drosophila.
• Examined axonal defects and cell identity.
• Investigated the localization of Notch in growth cones.
• Performed in vitro binding assays between Disabled and Notch.

Main Results:

• Notch and abl mutations exhibit synthetic lethality and axon extension defects.
• Axonal aberrations were not explained by changes in cell identity.
• Notch is present in the growth cones of extending axons.
• The Abl accessory protein Disabled binds to a Notch signaling domain in vitro.

Conclusions:

• Notch and Abl signaling pathways are functionally linked in Drosophila axons.
• Disabled and Abl may regulate Notch signaling in axons by binding to the Notch intracellular domain.