In the vertebrate neural tube, dorso-ventral cell identity is regulated by Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) signalling: increasing pathway activity promotes progressively more ventral fates. Shh signal transduction involves primary cilia, where several of the key pathway components are localised. Now (p. 2291), Kim Dale and colleagues report a role for Notch signalling in regulating Shh activity in the neural tube. Through experiments in cell culture, chick explants and mouse embryos, the authors find that Notch modulates responsiveness to the Shh signal: activating the Notch pathway renders cells more sensitive to Shh. Notch appears to act by promoting ciliary localisation of the key Shh pathway component Smoothened, as well as increasing levels of the activator form of the transcriptional effector Gli3. Moreover, cilia are longer upon Notch pathway activation. Together, these data provide an unexpected connection between the Notch and Shh pathways in the vertebrate neural tube, which impacts on neuronal fate.
Cilia get sensitive with Notch
Cilia get sensitive with Notch. Development 1 July 2015; 142 (13): e1302. doi:
Download citation file:
Advertisement
Cited by
Biologists @ 100 - join us in Liverpool in March 2025

We are excited to invite you to a unique scientific conference, celebrating the 100-year anniversary of The Company of Biologists, and bringing together our different communities. The conference will incorporate the Spring Meetings of the BSCB and the BSDB, the JEB Symposium Sensory Perception in a Changing World and a DMM programme on antimicrobial resistance. Find out more and register by 28 February 2025 to join us in March 2025 in Liverpool, UK.
Call for papers – Lifelong Development: the Maintenance, Regeneration and Plasticity of Tissues

Development invites you to submit your latest research to our upcoming special issue – Lifelong Development: the Maintenance, Regeneration and Plasticity of Tissues. This issue will be coordinated by Guest Editors Meritxell Huch (Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Germany) and Mansi Srivastava (Harvard University and Museum of Comparative Zoology, USA), working alongside our team of academic Editors. Submit your articles by 15 May 2025.
A case for broadening our view of mechanism in developmental biology

In this Perspective, B. Duygu Özpolat and colleagues survey researchers on their views on what it takes to infer mechanism in developmental biology. They examine what factors shape our idea of what we mean by ‘mechanism’ and suggest a path forward that embraces a broad outlook on the diversity of studies that advance knowledge in our field.
In preprints
Did you know that Development publishes perspectives on recent preprints? These articles help our readers navigate the ever-growing preprint literature. We welcome proposals for ‘In preprints’ articles, so please do get in touch if you’d like to contribute.