Notch signaling and inherited disease syndromes.

The Notch signaling pathway is an evolutionarily conserved, intercellular signaling mechanism essential for proper embryonic development in organisms as diverse as insects, nematodes, echinoderms and mammals. Disruptions in conserved developmental pathways frequently result in inherited congenital anomalies in humans. Mutations in genes encoding Notch pathway components underlie three inherited human diseases: Alagille syndrome, spondylocostal dysostosis, and cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy. Mouse models for these three diseases have been developed, and are leading to novel insights into the pathology of these diseases in humans.