Kegg Pathway: Notch signaling pathway

J Neurosci. 2009 Nov 18; 29(46): 14394-14407
Ferrón SR, Marqués-Torrejón MA, Mira H, Flores I, Taylor K, Blasco MA, Fariñas I

Proliferation in the subependymal zone (SEZ) and neurogenesis in the olfactory bulb decline in the forebrain of telomerase-deficient mice. The present work reveals additional effects of telomere shortening on neuronal differentiation, as adult multipotent progenitors with critically short telomeres yield reduced numbers of neurons that, furthermore, exhibit underdeveloped neuritic arbors. Genetic data indicate that the tumor suppressor protein p53 not only mediates the adverse effects of telomere attrition on proliferation and self-renewal but it is also involved in preventing normal neuronal differentiation of adult progenitors with dysfunctional telomeres. Interestingly, progenitor cells with short telomeres obtained from fetal brains do not exhibit any replicative defects but also fail to acquire a fully mature neuritic arbor, demonstrating cell cycle-independent effects of telomeres on neuronal differentiation. The negative effect of p53 on neuritogenesis is mechanistically linked to its cooperation with the Notch pathway in the upregulation of small GTPase RhoA kinases, Rock1 and Rock2, suggesting a potential link between DNA damage and the Notch signaling pathway in the control of neuritogenesis. We also show that telomerase expression is downregulated in the SEZ of aging mice leading to telomere length reductions in neurosphere-forming cells and deficient neurogenesis and neuritogenesis. Our results suggest that age-related deficits could be caused partly by dysfunctional telomeres and demonstrate that p53 is a central modulator of adult neurogenesis, regulating both the production and differentiation of postnatally generated olfactory neurons.

Stem Cells. 2009 Nov 17;
Wang J, Wakeman TP, Lathia JD, Hjelmeland AB, Wang XF, White RR, Rich JN, Sullenger BA

Radiotherapy represents the most effective nonsurgical treatments for gliomas. Yet, gliomas are highly radioresistant and recurrence is nearly universal. Results from our laboratory and other groups suggest that cancer stem cells contribute to radioresistance in gliomas and breast cancers. The Notch pathway is critically implicated in stem cell fate determination and cancer. In this study, we show that inhibition of Notch pathway with gamma-secretase inhibitors (GSIs) rendered the glioma stem cells more sensitive to radiation at clinically relevant doses. GSIs enhanced radiation-induced cell death and impaired clonogenic survival of glioma stem cells, but not non-stem glioma cells. Expression of the constitutively active intracellular domains of Notch1 or Notch2 protected glioma stem cells against radiation. Notch inhibition with GSIs did not alter the DNA damage response of glioma stem cells following radiation, but rather reduced Akt activity and Mcl-1 levels. Finally, knockdown of Notch1 or Notch2 sensitizes glioma stem cells to radiation and impaired xenograft tumor formation. Taken together, our results suggest a critical role of Notch signaling to regulate radioresistance of glioma stem cells. Inhibition of Notch signaling holds promise to improve the efficiency of current radiotherapy in glioma treatment.

PLoS One. 2009; 4(11): e7752
Brennan C, Momota H, Hambardzumyan D, Ozawa T, Tandon A, Pedraza A, Holland E

BACKGROUND: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is an umbrella designation that includes a heterogeneous group of primary brain tumors. Several classification strategies of GBM have been reported, some by clinical course and others by resemblance to cell types either in the adult or during development. From a practical and therapeutic standpoint, classifying GBMs by signal transduction pathway activation and by mutation in pathway member genes may be particularly valuable for the development of targeted therapies. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We performed targeted proteomic analysis of 27 surgical glioma samples to identify patterns of coordinate activation among glioma-relevant signal transduction pathways, then compared these results with integrated analysis of genomic and expression data of 243 GBM samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). In the pattern of signaling, three subclasses of GBM emerge which appear to be associated with predominance of EGFR activation, PDGFR activation, or loss of the RAS regulator NF1. The EGFR signaling class has prominent Notch pathway activation measured by elevated expression of Notch ligands, cleaved Notch receptor, and downstream target Hes1. The PDGF class showed high levels of PDGFB ligand and phosphorylation of PDGFRbeta and NFKB. NF1-loss was associated with lower overall MAPK and PI3K activation and relative overexpression of the mesenchymal marker YKL40. These three signaling classes appear to correspond with distinct transcriptomal subclasses of primary GBM samples from TCGA for which copy number aberration and mutation of EGFR, PDGFRA, and NF1 are signature events. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Proteomic analysis of GBM samples revealed three patterns of expression and activation of proteins in glioma-relevant signaling pathways. These three classes are comprised of roughly equal numbers showing either EGFR activation associated with amplification and mutation of the receptor, PDGF-pathway activation that is primarily ligand-driven, or loss of NF1 expression. The associated signaling activities correlating with these sentinel alterations provide insight into glioma biology and therapeutic strategies.

J Virol. 2009 Nov 11;
Persson LM, Wilson AC

For Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV, HHV8), the switch from latency into active lytic replication requires RTA, the product of open reading frame 50 (ORF50). RTA activates transcription from nearly 40 early and delayed-early viral promoters mainly through interactions with cellular DNA binding proteins such as CSL/RBP-Jkappa, Oct-1, C/EBPalpha and c-Jun. Reliance on cellular co-regulators may allow KSHV to adjust its lytic program to suit different cellular contexts or interpret signals from the outside. CSL is a key component of the Notch signaling pathway and is targeted by several viruses. A search with known CSL binding sequences from cellular genes found at least 260 matches in the KSHV genome, many from regions containing known or suspected to lytic promoters. Analysis of clustered sites located immediately upstream of ORF70 (thymidylate synthase), ORF19 (tegument protein) and ORF47 (glycoprotein L) uncovered RTA-responsive promoters that were validated using mRNA isolated from KSHV-infected cells undergoing lytic reactivation. Notably, ORF19 behaves as a true-late gene, indicating that RTA regulates all three phases of the lytic program. For each new promoter, the response to RTA was dependent on CSL, and five of the ten candidate sites were shown to bind CSL in vitro. Analysis of individuals sites highlighted the importance of a cytosine residue flanking the core CSL binding sequence. These findings broaden the role for CSL in coordinating the KSHV lytic gene expression program and help define a signature motif for functional CSL sites within the viral genome.

Development. 2009 Dec; 136(23): 3889-93
Muroyama Y, Saito T

In the developing neocortex, neural progenitor cells (NPCs) produce projection neurons of the six cortical layers in a temporal order. Over the course of cortical neurogenesis, maintenance of NPCs is essential for the generation of distinct types of neurons at the required time. Notch signaling plays a pivotal role in the maintenance of NPCs by inhibiting neuronal differentiation. Although Hairy and Enhancer-of-split (Hes)-type proteins are central to Notch signaling, it remains unclear whether other essential effectors take part in the pathway. In this study, we identify Nepro, a gene expressed in the developing mouse neocortex at early stages that encodes a 63 kDa protein that has no known structural motif except a nuclear localization signal. Misexpression of Nepro inhibits neuronal differentiation only in the early neocortex. Furthermore, knockdown of Nepro by siRNA causes precocious differentiation of neurons. Expression of Nepro is activated by the constitutively active form of Notch but not by Hes genes. Nepro represses expression of proneural genes without affecting the expression of Hes genes. Finally, we show that the combination of Nepro and Hes maintains NPCs even when Notch signaling is blocked. These results indicate that Nepro is involved in the maintenance of NPCs in the early neocortex downstream of Notch.

Development. 2009 Nov 11;
Babaoglan AB, O'Connor-Giles KM, Mistry H, Schickedanz A, Wilson BA, Skeath JB

Asymmetric cell divisions generate sibling cells of distinct fates ('A', 'B') and constitute a fundamental mechanism that creates cell-type diversity in multicellular organisms. Antagonistic interactions between the Notch pathway and the intrinsic cell-fate determinant Numb appear to regulate asymmetric divisions in flies and vertebrates. During these divisions, productive Notch signaling requires sanpodo, which encodes a novel transmembrane protein. Here, we demonstrate that Drosophila sanpodo plays a dual role to regulate Notch signaling during asymmetric divisions - amplifying Notch signaling in the absence of Numb in the 'A' daughter cell and inhibiting Notch signaling in the presence of Numb in the 'B' daughter cell. In so doing, sanpodo ensures the asymmetry in Notch signaling levels necessary for the acquisition of distinct fates by the two daughter cells. These findings answer long-standing questions about the restricted ability of Numb and Sanpodo to inhibit and to promote, respectively, Notch signaling during asymmetric divisions.

Stem Cells. 2009 Nov 10;
Fan X, Khaki L, Zhu TS, Soules ME, Talsma CE, Gul N, Koh C, Zhang J, Li YM, Maciaczyk J, Nikkhah G, Dimeco F, Piccirillo S, Vescovi AL, Eberhart CG

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are thought to be critical for the engraftment and long-term growth of many tumors, including glioblastoma (GBM). They are at least partially spared by traditional chemo- and radiation-therapies, and finding new treatments which can target CSC may be critical for improving patient survival. It has been shown that the Notch signaling pathway regulates normal stem cells in the brain, and that GBM contain stem-like cells with higher Notch activity. We therefore used low-passage and established GBM-derived neurosphere cultures to examine the overall requirement for Notch activity, and also examined the effects on tumor cells expressing stem cell markers. Notch blockade by gamma-secretase inhibitors (GSIs) reduced neurosphere growth and clonogenicity in vitro, while expression of an active form of Notch2 increased tumor growth. The putative CSC markers CD133, Nestin, Bmi1, and Olig2 were reduced following Notch blockade. When equal numbers of viable cells pretreated with either vehicle (DMSO) or GSI were injected subcutaneously into nude mice, the former always formed tumors, whereas the latter did not. In vivo delivery of GSI by implantation of drug-impregnated polymer beads also effectively blocked tumor growth, and significantly prolonged survival, albeit in a relatively small cohort of animals. We found that Notch pathway inhibition appears to deplete stem-like cancer cells through reduced proliferation and increased apoptosis associated with decreased Akt and STAT3 phosphorylation. In summary, we demonstrate that Notch pathway blockade depletes stem-like cells in GBMs, suggesting that GSIs may be useful as chemotherapeutic reagents to target CSCs in malignant gliomas.

Cancer Res. 2009 Nov 10;
Watters JW, Cheng C, Majumder PK, Wang R, Yalavarthi S, Meeske C, Kong L, Sun W, Lin J, Heyer J, Ware C, Winter C, Reilly JF, Demuth T, Clark S, Chiu MI, Robinson MO, Kohl N, Kannan K

Notch pathway signaling plays a fundamental role in normal biological processes and is frequently deregulated in many cancers. Although several hypotheses regarding cancer subpopulations most likely to respond to therapies targeting the Notch pathway have been proposed, clinical utility of these predictive markers has not been shown. To understand the molecular basis of gamma-secretase inhibitor (GSI) sensitivity in breast cancer, we undertook an unbiased, de novo responder identification study using a novel genetically engineered in vivo breast cancer model. We show that tumors arising from this model are heterogeneous on the levels of gene expression, histopathology, growth rate, expression of Notch pathway markers, and response to GSI treatment. In addition, GSI treatment of this model was associated with inhibition of Hes1 and proliferation markers, indicating that GSI treatment inhibits Notch signaling. We then identified a pretreatment gene expression signature comprising 768 genes that is significantly associated with in vivo GSI efficacy across 99 tumor lines. pathway analysis showed that the GSI responder signature is enriched for Notch pathway components and inflammation/immune-related genes. These data show the power of this novel in vivo model system for the discovery of biomarkers predictive of response to targeted therapies, and provide a basis for the identification of human breast cancers most likely to be sensitive to GSI treatment. [Cancer Res 2009;69(23):OF1-9].

Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol. 2009 Nov 10;
Richards GS, Degnan BM

Intercellular signaling underpins metazoan development by mediating the induction, organization, and cooperation of cells, tissues, and organs. Herein, the origins of the four major signaling pathways used during animal development and differentiation-Wnt, Notch, transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), and Hedgehog-are assessed by comparative analysis of genomes from bilaterians, early branching metazoan phyla (poriferans, placozoans, and cnidarians), and the holozoan sister clade to the animal kingdom, the choanoflagellates. On the basis of the incidence and domain architectures of core pathway ligands, receptors, signal transducers, and transcription factors in representative species of these lineages, it appears that the Notch, Wnt, and TGF-beta pathways are metazoan synapomorphies, whereas the Hedgehog pathway arose in the protoeumetazoan lineage, after its divergence from poriferan and placozoan lineages. Examination of the binding domains and motifs present in signaling pathway components of nonbilaterians reveals cases in which signaling interactions are unlikely to be operating in accordance with bilaterian canons. Overall, this study highlights the stability and antiquity of the core cytosolic components of each pathway, juxtaposed with the more variable and recently evolved molecular interactions taking place at the cell surface.

Cancer Biol Ther. 2009 Sep; 8(18): 1691-8
Yao Z, Mishra L

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common cancer worldwide, with a median survival of 6-16 m. Factors responsible for the poor prognosis include late onset diagnosis, underlying cirrhosis and resistance to chemotherapy; 40% of HCCs are clonal and therefore potentially arise from progenitor/stem cells. New insights are provided from several signaling pathways, such as STAT3, Notch, hedgehog and transforming growth factor-beta (TGFbeta), which are involved in stem cell renewal, differentiation, survival, and are commonly deregulated in HCC. Control of stem cell proliferation by the TGFbeta, Notch, Wnt and Hedgehog pathways to suppress hepatocellular cancer and to form the endoderm suggest a dual role for this pathway in tumor suppression as well as progression of differentiation from a stem or progenitor stage. This review provides a rationale for detecting and analyzing tumor stem cells as one of the most effective ways to treat cancers such as hepatocellular cancer.

Biochim Biophys Acta. 2009 Sep; 1792(9): 862-73
Dunwoodie SL

Notch signaling is an evolutionarily conserved mechanism that determines cell fate in a variety of contexts during development. This is achieved through different modes of action that are context dependent. One mode involves boundary formation between two groups of cells. With this mode of action, Notch signaling is central to vertebrate evolution as it drives the segmentation of paraxial mesoderm in the formation of somites, which are the precursors of the vertebra. In this case, boundary formation facilitates a mesenchymal to epithelial transition, leading to the creation of a somite. In addition, the boundary establishes a signaling center that patterns the somite, a feature that directly impacts on vertebral column formation. Studies in Xenopus, zebrafish, chicken and mouse have established the importance of Notch signaling in somitogenesis, and indeed in mouse how perturbations in somitogenesis affect vertebral column formation. Spondylocostal dysostosis is a congenital disorder characterized by formation of abnormal vertebrae. Here, mutation in Notch pathway genes demonstrates that Notch signaling is also required for normal somite formation and vertebral column development in humans; of particular interest here is mutation of the LUNATIC FRINGE (LFNG) gene, which causes SCD type 3. LUNATIC FRINGE encodes for a fucose-specific beta1,3-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase, which modifies Notch receptors and alters Notch signaling activity. This review will focus on Notch glycolsylation, and the role of LUNATIC FRINGE in somite formation and vertebral column development in mice and humans.

Nat Neurosci. 2009 Nov 8;
Andreu-Agulló C, Morante-Redolat JM, Delgado AC, Fariñas I

We sought to address the fundamental question of how stem cell microenvironments can regulate self-renewal. We found that Notch was active in astroglia-like neural stem cells (NSCs), but not in transit-amplifying progenitors of the murine subependymal zone, and that the level of Notch transcriptional activity correlated with self-renewal and multipotency. Moreover, dividing NSCs appeared to balance renewal with commitment via controlled segregation of Notch activity, leading to biased expression of known (Hes1) and previously unknown (Egfr) Notch target genes in daughter cells. Pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) enhanced Notch-dependent transcription in cells with low Notch signaling, thereby subverting the output of an asymmetrical division to the production of two highly self-renewing cells. Mechanistically, PEDF induced a non-canonical activation of the NF-kappaB pathway, leading to the dismissal of the transcriptional co-repressor N-CoR from specific Notch-responsive promoters. Our data provide a basis for stemness regulation in vascular niches and indicate that Notch and PEDF cooperate to regulate self-renewal.

Oncogene. 2009 Nov 2;
Konishi J, Yi F, Chen X, Vo H, Carbone DP, Dang TP

Notch signaling is a highly conserved pathway important for normal embryonic development and cancer. We previously demonstrated a role for Notch3 in lung cancer pathogenesis. Notch3 inhibition resulted in tumor apoptosis and growth suppression. In vitro, these effects were enhanced when the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathway was also inhibited, suggesting significant cross-talk between the two pathways. How Notch3 and epidermal growth factor receptor-mitogen-activated protein kinase (EGFR-MAPK) pathways cooperate in modulating apoptosis is not yet known. In this study, we provide evidence that Notch3 regulates Bim, a BH-3-only protein, via MAPK signaling. Furthermore, loss of Bim expression prevents tumor apoptosis induced by Notch3 inhibition. Using gamma-secretase inhibitor and erlotinib in a xenograft model, Bim induction and tumor inhibition were observed to be enhanced compared with either agent alone, consistent with our previous observation of significant synergism between Notch and EGFR-ras-MAPK signaling. Thus, our data support the hypothesis that Notch3 not only has a crucial role in lung cancer through regulating apoptosis, but also cooperates with the EGFR-MAPK pathway in modulating Bim.Oncogene advance online publication, 2 November 2009; doi:10.1038/onc.2009.366.

Int J Dev Biol. 2009 Oct 9;
Banerjee P, Fazleabas AT

The delicate interaction between an embryo and the uterus to initiate implantation and maintain pregnancy is one of the most elegant and fascinating interactions in human biology. Understanding the molecular events of embryo-maternal interaction is of interest to reproductive biologists, clinicians and couples affected by infertility. We have established the baboon as the non-human primate model for studying embryo implantation. Infusion of chorionic gonadotropin (CG), the major embryonic signal of primates, into the uterine cavity of normal cycling baboons during the window of receptivity induces a myriad of morphological, biochemical and molecular changes in the estrogen and progesterone primed endometrium. The luminal epithelium responds by forming plaques, the overall secretory function of the glandular epithelium increases and the stromal response is characterized by induction of alpha-smooth muscle actin (alphaSMA). Cross talk between ovarian and embryonic hormones is evidenced by the fact that these responses are inhibited upon treatment with a progesterone receptor antagonist. CG signals principally through the seven transmembrane LH/CG G-protein coupled receptor, and activates a mitogen activated protein kinase pathway in the endometrial epithelium that is unique and independent of all the classical signaling pathways. In the stromal compartment, CG both rescues stromal fibroblasts from their apoptotic demise and also differentiates them into the decidualized phenotype. We propose that stromal cell survival and differentiation is mediated by a critical modulator of cell fate, Notch-1. Thus, CG is an important embryonic signal which modulates communication between the embryo and the endometrium and induces changes that are critical to successful implantation.

Protein Sci. 2009 Oct 28;
Friedmann DR, Kovall RA

The Notch pathway is an intercellular signaling mechanism that plays important roles in cell fates decisions throughout the developing and adult organism. Extracellular complexation of Notch receptors with ligands ultimately results in changes in gene expression, which is regulated by the nuclear effector of the pathway, CSL (CBF-1, Su(H), Lag-1). CSL is a DNA binding protein that is involved in both repression and activation of transcription from genes that are responsive to Notch signaling. One well characterized Notch target gene is HES-1 (Hairy and Enhancer of Split-1), which is regulated by a promoter element consisting of two CSL binding sites oriented in a head-to-head arrangement. While previous studies have identified in vivo and consensus binding sites for CSL, and crystal structures of these complexes have been determined, to date, a quantitative description of the energetics that underlie CSL-DNA binding is unknown. Here we provide a thermodynamic and structural analysis of the interaction between CSL and the two individual sites that comprise the HES-1 promoter element. Our comprehensive studies that analyze binding as a function of temperature, salt, and pH reveal moderate, but distinct, differences in the affinities of CSL for the two HES-1 binding sites. Similarly, our structural results indicate that overall CSL binds both DNA sites in a similar manner; however, minor changes are observed in both the conformation of CSL and DNA. Taken together, our results provide a quantitative and biophysical basis for understanding how CSL interacts with DNA sites in vivo.

J Biol Chem. 2009 Oct 28;
Shi F, Cheng Y, Wang XL, Edge AS

Atoh1, a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor, plays a critical role in the differentiation of several epithelial and neural cell types. We found that beta-catenin, the key mediator of the canonical Wnt pathway, increased expression of Atoh1 in mouse neuroblastoma cells and neural progenitor cells, and baseline Atoh1 expression was decreased by siRNA directed at beta-catenin. The upregulation of Atoh1 was caused by an interaction of beta-catenin with the Atoh1 enhancer that could be demonstrated by chromatin immunoprecipitation. We found that two putative Tcf-Lef sites in the 3'enhancer of the Atoh1 gene displayed an affinity for beta-catenin and were critical for the activation of Atoh1 transcription since mutation of either site decreased expression of a reporter gene downstream of the enhancer. Tcf-Lef co-activators were found in the complex that bound to these sites in the DNA together with beta-catenin. Inhibition of Notch signaling, which has previously been shown to induce bHLH transcription factor expression, increased beta-catenin expression in progenitor cells of the nervous system. Since this could be a mechanism for upregulation of Atoh1 after inhibition of Notch, we tested whether siRNA to beta-catenin prevented the increase in Atoh1 and found that beta-catenin expression was required for increased expression of Atoh1 after Notch inhibition.

J Neurogenet. 2009; 23(4): 405-11
Song Q, Sun K, Shuai Y, Lin R, You W, Wang L, Zhong Y

Suppressor of Hairless [Su(H)] is a DNA-binding protein of the Notch-signaling pathway, which is important for developmental processes and has been implicated in behavior plasticity. It acts as a transcriptional activator in the Notch pathway, but also as a repressor in the absence of Notch signaling. Our previous work has shown that Notch signaling contributes to long-term memory formation in the Drosophila adult brain. In the present report, we show that Su(H) null heterozygous mutants perform normally for learning, early memory, and anesthesia-resistant memory, whereas long-term memory is impaired. Interestingly, we find overexpressing wild- type Su(H) also causes long-term memory defect in Drosophila. Significantly, induction of a heat-shock inducible Su(H)(+) transgene before training can fully rescue the memory defect of Su(H) mutants, thereby demonstrating an acute role for Su(H) in behavioral plasticity. We show that Su(H) is widely expressed in the adult brain. Transgenic expression of wild-type Su(H) in the Mushroom Bodies is sufficient to rescue the memory defect of Su(H) mutants. Our data clearly demonstrate that transcriptional activity of Su(H) in Notch signaling in the mushroom bodies is critical for the formation of long-term memory.

Nat Med. 2009 Nov; 15(11): 1289-97
Li X, Zhang X, Leathers R, Makino A, Huang C, Parsa P, Macias J, Yuan JX, Jamieson SW, Thistlethwaite PA

Notch receptor signaling is implicated in controlling smooth muscle cell proliferation and in maintaining smooth muscle cells in an undifferentiated state. Pulmonary arterial hypertension is characterized by excessive vascular resistance, smooth muscle cell proliferation in small pulmonary arteries, leading to elevation of pulmonary vascular resistance, right ventricular failure and death. Here we show that human pulmonary hypertension is characterized by overexpression of Notch3 in small pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells and that the severity of disease in humans and rodents correlates with the amount of Notch3 protein in the lung. We further show that mice with homozygous deletion of Notch3 do not develop pulmonary hypertension in response to hypoxic stimulation and that pulmonary hypertension can be successfully treated in mice by administration of N-[N-(3,5-difluorophenacetyl)-L-alanyl]-S-phenylglycine t-butyl ester (DAPT), a gamma-secretase inhibitor that blocks activation of Notch3 in smooth muscle cells. We show a mechanistic link from Notch3 receptor signaling through the Hairy and enhancer of Split-5 (HES-5) protein to smooth muscle cell proliferation and a shift to an undifferentiated smooth muscle cell phenotype. These results suggest that the Notch3-HES-5 signaling pathway is crucial for the development of pulmonary arterial hypertension and provide a target pathway for therapeutic intervention.

J Clin Invest. 2009 Nov; 119(11): 3290-300
Jeong HW, Jeon US, Koo BK, Kim WY, Im SK, Shin J, Cho Y, Kim J, Kong YY

The heterogeneous cellular composition of the mammalian renal collecting duct enables regulation of fluid, electrolytes, and acid-base homeostasis, but the molecular mechanism of its development has yet to be elucidated. The Notch signaling pathway is involved in cell fate determination and has been implicated in proximal-distal patterning in the mammalian kidney. To investigate the role of Notch signaling in renal collecting duct development, we generated mice in which Mind bomb-1 (Mib1), an E3 ubiquitin ligase required for the initiation of Notch signaling, was specifically inactivated in the ureteric bud of the developing kidney. Mice lacking Mib1 in the renal collecting duct displayed increased urinary production, decreased urinary osmolality, progressive hydronephrosis, sodium wasting, and a severe urinary concentrating defect manifested as nephrogenic diabetes insipidus. Histological analysis revealed a diminished number of principal cells and corresponding increase in the number of intercalated cells. Transgenic overexpression of Notch intracellular domain reversed the altered cellular composition of mutant renal collecting duct, with principal cells occupying the entire region. Our data demonstrate that Notch signaling is required for the development of the mammalian renal collecting duct and principal cell differentiation and indicate that pathway dysregulation may contribute to distal renal tubular disorders.

Dev Cell. 2009 Oct; 17(4): 443-58
Kovacs JJ, Hara MR, Davenport CL, Kim J, Lefkowitz RJ

Arrestins were identified as mediators of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) desensitization and endocytosis. However, it is now clear that they scaffold many intracellular signaling networks to modulate the strength and duration of signaling by diverse types of receptors--including those relevant to the Hedgehog, Wnt, Notch, and TGFbeta pathways--and downstream kinases such as the MAPK and Akt/PI3K cascades. The involvement of arrestins in many discrete developmental signaling events suggests an indispensable role for these multifaceted molecular scaffolds.