Delta and Serrate are redundant Notch ligands required for asymmetric cell divisions within the Drosophila sensory organ lineage
Zeng, C.; Younger-Shepherd, S.; Jan, L.Y.; Jan, Y.N.
Genes and Development 12(8): 1086-1091
1998
ISSN/ISBN: 0890-9369 PMID: 9553038 Accession: 008427763
Asymmetric divisions allow a precursor to produce four distinct cells of a Drosophila sensory organ lineage (SOL). Whereas this process requires cell-cell communication via Notch (N) receptor, mitotic recombination that removes the N ligand Delta (D1) or Serrate (Ser) in the SOL had mild or no effect. Removal of both D1 and Ser, however, led to cell fate transformations similar to the N phenotype. Cell fate transformation occurred even when a single SOL cell lost both D1 and Ser. Thus, D1 and Ser are redundant in mediating signaling between daughter cells to specify their distinct cell fates.