| abstract |
(57) [Summary]nThe present invention relates to Delta-cleaved peptides, fragments, derivatives and analogs thereof, and nucleic acids encoding the same. The present invention also relates to soluble Delta peptides, fragments, derivatives and analogs thereof, and nucleic acids encoding the same. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for detecting or measuring Delta activation by observing or measuring a Delta cleavage product that is an indicator of Delta activation. The present invention also relates to a method for detecting or measuring Kuz activation by observing or measuring a Delta cleavage product that is an indicator of Kuz activation. The invention further relates to methods for detecting molecules that modulate Delta activation or Kuz function by observing or measuring changes in the amount or pattern of Delta cleavage products. The present invention is based, at least in part, on the discovery that the active form of Delta (ie, the form that mediates signaling and binds to Notch) is a soluble fragment consisting of the extracellular domain. |