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Notch Signaling Pathway in Neurodegeneration

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Notch Signaling Pathway in Neurodegeneration

Introduction

The Notch signaling pathway represents one of the most evolutionarily conserved intercellular communication mechanisms in multicellular organisms. Originally identified in Drosophila melanogaster where Notch mutations caused notches in fly wings, this pathway now recognized as a critical regulator of cell fate, differentiation, proliferation, and apoptosis throughout the nervous system [1](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10625483/). In the context of neurodegeneration, Notch signaling plays complex and often contradictory roles, contributing to both neuroprotective processes and pathological mechanisms in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and other neurodegenerative conditions [2](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18599442/). [@iso2003]

Notch receptors are transmembrane proteins that mediate direct cell-cell communication through ligand binding. The mammalian genome encodes four Notch receptors (Notch1-4) and five ligands (Delta-like 1, 3, 4 and Jagged 1, 2). Upon ligand binding, proteolytic cleavage releases the Notch intracellular domain (NICD), which translocates to the nucleus and regulates gene expression through interaction with CSL (CBF1/Su(H)/Lag-1) transcription factors and co-activators of the Mastermind family [3](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10804160/). [@andersson2014]

Notch Signaling Mechanism

Receptor Structure and Activation

Notch receptors are type I transmembrane proteins composed of multiple domains: [@gazdar2000]

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