Fringe benefits: functional and structural impacts of O-glycosylation on the extracellular domain of Notch receptors.

The Notch family of receptors plays essential roles in many phases of development, and dysregulation of Notch activity is increasingly recognized as a player in many diseases. O-Glycosylation of the Notch extracellular domain is essential for Notch activity, and tissue-specific alterations in the glycan structures are known to regulate activity. Here we review recent advances in identification and characterization of the enzymes responsible for glycosylating Notch and molecular mechanisms for how these O-glycans affect Notch activity.