RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Interchangeability of Caenorhabditis elegans DSL proteins and intrinsic signalling activity of their extracellular domains in vivo
JF Development
JO Development
FD The Company of Biologists Limited
SP 4275
OP 4282
VO 121
IS 12
A1 Fitzgerald, K.
A1 Greenwald, I.
YR 1995
UL http://dev.biologists.org/content/121/12/4275.abstract
AB Ligands of the Delta/Serrate/lag-2 (DSL) family and their receptors, members of the lin-12/Notch family, mediate cell-cell interactions that specify cell fate in invertebrates and vertebrates. In C. elegans, two DSL genes, lag-2 and apx-1, influence different cell fate decisions during development. Here we show that APX-1 can fully substitute for LAG-2 when expressed under the control of lag-2 regulatory sequences. In addition, we demonstrate that truncated forms lacking the transmembrane and intracellular domains of both LAG-2 and APX-1 can also substitute for endogenous lag-2 activity. Moreover, we provide evidence that these truncated forms are secreted and able to activate LIN-12 and GLP-1 ectopically. Finally, we show that expression of a secreted DSL domain alone may enhance endogenous LAG-2 signalling. Our data suggest ways that activated forms of DSL ligands in other systems may be created.