研究黑腹果蝇Notch信号通路的工具和方法。

Zacharioudaki Evanthia, Bray Sarah J

Department of Physiology Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK.

Methods. 2014 Jun 15;68(1):173-82. doi: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2014.03.029. Epub 2014 Apr 3.

Notch signaling involves a highly conserved pathway that mediates communication between neighboring cells. Activation of Notch by its ligands, results in the release of the Notch intracellular domain (NICD), which enters the nucleus and regulates transcription. This pathway has been implicated in many developmental decisions and diseases (including cancers) over the past decades. The simplicity of the Notch pathway in Drosophila melanogaster, in combination with the availability of powerful genetics, make this an attractive model for studying fundamental principles of Notch regulation and function. In this article we present some of the established and emerging tools that are available to monitor and manipulate the Notch pathway in Drosophila and discuss their strengths and weaknesses.

Notch信号传导涉及一条高度保守的途径，该途径介导相邻细胞之间的通讯。Notch被其配体激活后，会导致Notch细胞内结构域（NICD）的释放，NICD进入细胞核并调节转录。在过去几十年中，该途径与许多发育决策和疾病（包括癌症）有关。黑腹果蝇中Notch途径的简单性，再加上强大的遗传学方法，使其成为研究Notch调节和功能基本原理的有吸引力的模型。在本文中，我们介绍了一些可用于监测和操纵果蝇中Notch途径的已确立和新出现的工具，并讨论了它们的优缺点。