Notch signaling in development and homeostasis

Notch signaling is a highly conserved signaling pathway that coordinates cellular differentiation during the development and homeostasis in numerous organs and tissues across metazoans. Activation of Notch signaling relies on direct contact between neighboring cells and mechanical pulling of the Notch receptors by the Notch ligands. Notch signaling is commonly used in developmental processes to coordinate the differentiation into distinct cell fates of neighboring cells. In this Development at a Glance article, we describe the current understanding of the Notch pathway activation and the different regulatory levels that control the pathway. We then describe several developmental processes where Notch is crucial for coordinating differentiation. These examples include processes that are largely based on lateral inhibition mechanisms giving rise to alternating patterns (e.g. SOP selection, hair cell in the inner ear and neural stem cell maintenance), as well as processes where Notch activity is oscillatory (e.g. somitogenesis and neurogenesis in mammals).

Automated summary

Notch signaling is a highly conserved pathway that plays a crucial role in the development and homeostasis of various organisms. It is activated by direct cell-cell contact and mechanical pulling of receptors. Notch signaling coordinates the differentiation into distinct cell fates of neighboring cells during development, and its activation is regulated at multiple levels. This article provides an overview of the activation mechanism and regulation of the Notch pathway, as well as its importance in various developmental processes.