CDB15:0000450 DLL1 — NOTCH3

ABSTRACT: Notch receptors are single transmembrane receptors that contain a large number of epidermal growth factor-like repeats (EGF repeats) in their extracellular domains. Mutations in the EGF repeats of the human Notch 3 receptor lead to the vascular dementia disease Cerebral Autosomal Dominant Arteriopathy with Subcortical Infarcts and Leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL). The vast majority of CADASIL mutations are missense mutations removing or inserting cysteine residues in the EGF repeats, but it is not yet clear whether these mutations primarily affect receptor trafficking, maturation, andor signaling. To address this issue, we have generated and analyzed stable cell lines expressing either wild-type murine Notch 3 (mNotch 3) or the mutant mNotch 3(R142C), which corresponds to the prevalent CADASIL form of Notch 3, Notch 3(R141C) in humans. We find that a lower proportion of mNotch 3(R142C) is expressed in the site 1-cleaved configuration, and that reduced amounts of mNotch 3(R142C) appear at the cell surface, as compared with wild-type mNotch 3. This observation is accompanied by a higher propensity for mNotch 3(R142C) to form intracellular aggregates, which may be a result of increased accumulation or slowed transport in the secretory pathway. In contrast to the impaired cell surface expression, mNotch 3(R142C) signals equally well in response to Delta 1 and Jagged 1 as wild-type mNotch 3. Taken together, these data suggest that trafficking and localization rather than signaling of mNotch 3 are affected in mNotch 3(R142C).

ABSTRACT: The Notch pathway regulates the development of many tissues and cell types and is involved in a variety of human diseases, making it an attractive potential therapeutic target. This promise has been limited by the absence of potent inhibitors or agonists that are specific for individual human Notch receptors (NOTCH1-4). Using an unbiased functional screening, we identified monoclonal antibodies that specifically inhibit or induce activating proteolytic cleavages in NOTCH3. Remarkably, the most potent inhibitory and activating antibodies bind to overlapping epitopes within a juxtamembrane negative regulatory region that protects NOTCH3 from proteolysis and activation in its resting autoinhibited state. The inhibitory antibodies revert phenotypes conveyed on 293T cells by NOTCH3 signaling, such as increased cellular proliferation, survival, and motility, whereas the activating antibody mimics some of the effects of ligand-induced Notch activation. These findings provide insights into the mechanisms of Notch autoinhibition and activation and pave the way for the further development of specific antibody-based modulators of the Notch receptors, which are likely to be of utility in a wide range of experimental and therapeutic settings.