A Forced Opening

摘要

Notch proteins are transmembrane receptors that have major roles in the regulation of cell proliferation and development, and mutations in the Notch signaling pathway contribute to human diseases and cancer. When Notch proteins are bound by their ligands, which are themselves transmembrane proteins found on adjacent cells, endocytosis of the Notch extracellular domain into the ligand-bearing cell occurs, during which the Notch protein is cleaved, allowing the intracellular domain to be translocated to the nucleus, where it activates target genes.