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Notch signalling is a highly conserved cellular interaction pathway fundamental to metazoan development and homeostasis. When notch, a cell-surface receptor, binds to a ligand on a neighboring cell, the Notch intracellular domain is released and enters the nucleus, where it activates target gene transcription. Despite its simplicity, Notch signalling underlies a wide diversity of processes related to cell fate, differentiation, and death. These include many aspects of embryonic development, particularly in the nervous, cardiovascular, and endocrine systems. It is also critical to homeostatic processes in a range of adult organs and tissues, such as the liver, skin, lungs, intestine, skeletal muscle, vasculature, and the hematopoietic system. Meanwhile, malfunctions in the Notch pathway can lead to cancer progression by promoting tumor vasculature, cancer cell stemness, and cell migration. This diversity of function is enabled by the nuclear context of the cell receiving the signal, as well as the expression patterns of the ligands and receptors.
Articles in this Collection will explore this conserved yet varied pathway and its many roles in development, homeostasis, and pathology.