The Expression and Function ofNotchPathway Genes in the Developing Rat Eye

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Abstract
TheNotchgene plays a role in the development of disparate tissues in multiple organisms. Because the vertebrate eye is an excellent model system for both patterning and cell fate determination, two processes that can involveNotch, we examined the expression patterns ofNotch 1andNotch 2, and their ligandsDeltaandJagged, in the developing rat eye.Notch 1andDeltawere found to be expressed in the neural retina during the period of cell fate determination and differentiation.Notch 2was found to be expressed in the non-neuronal derivatives of the optic cup, including the pigment epithelium, optic stalk, and ciliary body.Jaggedwas expressed in distinct regions within the optic vesicle, ciliary body, and lens, with patterns that changed over time. The potential function ofNotch 1in cell-type specification and differentiation was examined by introducing a constitutively active form of Notch 1in vivousing a replication-incompetent retrovirus. This form of Notch 1 was found to cause abnormal growth and interfere with the differentiation of multiple retinal cell types.