Unit of Anatomy, Department of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Switzerland.
Ageing Res Rev. 2013 Jun;12(3):801-14. doi: 10.1016/j.arr.2013.03.004. Epub 2013 Apr 6.
Notch signaling is an evolutionarily conserved pathway, which is fundamental for neuronal development and specification. In the last decade, increasing evidence has pointed out an important role of this pathway beyond embryonic development, indicating that Notch also displays a critical function in the mature brain of vertebrates and invertebrates. This pathway appears to be involved in neural progenitor regulation, neuronal connectivity, synaptic plasticity and learning/memory. In addition, Notch appears to be aberrantly regulated in neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease and ischemic injury. The molecular mechanisms by which Notch displays these functions in the mature brain are not fully understood, but are currently the subject of intense research. In this review, we will discuss old and novel Notch targets and molecular mediators that contribute to Notch function in the mature brain and will summarize recent findings that explore the two facets of Notch signaling in brain physiology and pathology.
Notch 信号通路是一条进化上保守的通路，对于神经元的发育和特化至关重要。在过去的十年中，越来越多的证据表明该通路在胚胎发育之外也具有重要作用，提示 Notch 还在脊椎动物和无脊椎动物的成熟脑中发挥着关键功能。该通路似乎参与了神经祖细胞的调控、神经元的连接、突触可塑性以及学习/记忆。此外， Notch 在神经退行性疾病（包括阿尔茨海默病和缺血性损伤）中似乎出现了异常调控。Notch 在成熟脑中发挥这些功能的分子机制尚不完全清楚，但目前是研究的热点。在这篇综述中，我们将讨论 Notch 在成熟脑中的新老靶标和分子介质，并总结探讨 Notch 信号在脑生理学和病理学中两个方面的最新发现。
