JAGGED2: a putative Notch ligand expressed in the apical ectodermal ridge and in sites of epithelial-mesenchymal interactions.

The Drosophila Notch gene and its ligands, Delta and Serrate, are involved in cell fate determination in a variety of developing tissues. Recently, several Notch, Delta and Serrate homologues have been identified in vertebrates. We report here the cloning of the human and murine JAGGED2 (JAG2), a Serrate-like gene, and the analysis of its expression pattern during embryogenesis. Jag2 was found to be expressed as early as E9 in the surface ectoderm of the branchial arches and in the apical ectodermal ridge (AER) of the developing limb. At E12.5, Jag2 expression is upregulated in differentiated neurons of the central and peripheral nervous system and in the inner neuroblastic layer of the developing retina. Outside the nervous system, Jag2 is expressed in the developing vibrissae follicles, tooth buds, thymus, submandibular gland and stomach. Our findings suggest the involvement of Jagged2 in the development of the mammalian limb, branchial arches, central and peripheral nervous systems and several tissues whose development depends upon epithelial-mesenchymal interactions.