Dll4, a novel Notch ligand expressed in arterial endothelium
- John R. Shutter1,
- Sheila Scully2,
- Wei Fan3,
- William G. Richards3,
- Jan Kitajewski4,
- Gisele A. Deblandre5,
- Chris R. Kintner5, and
- Kevin L. Stark1,6
- 1Departments of Molecular Genetics, 2Pathology, and 3Neurobiology, Amgen, Inc., Thousand Oaks, California 91320 USA; 4Department of Pathology and OB/GYN, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York 10032 USA; 5Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The SALK Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, California 90037 USA
Abstract
We report the cloning and characterization of a new member of the Delta family of Notch ligands, which we have named Dll4. Like other Delta genes, Dll4 is predicted to encode a membrane-bound ligand, characterized by an extracellular region containing several EGF-like domains and a DSL domain required for receptor binding. In situ analysis reveals a highly selective expression pattern of Dll4 within the vascular endothelium. The activity and expression of Dll4 and the known actions of other members of this family suggest a role for Dll4 in the control of endothelial cell biology.
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Footnotes
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↵6 Corresponding author.
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E-MAIL kstark{at}amgen.com; FAX (805) 480-1368.
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- Received December 16, 1999.
- Accepted April 7, 2000.
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press
