TLE 1 expression correlates with mouse embryonic segmentation, Neurogenesis and epithelial determination

Abstract

The TLE proteins are the mammalian homologs of Drosophila Groucho, a member of the Notch signaling pathway. Notch signaling controls the differentiation of a variety of tissues in invertebrates and vertebrates. To examine the role of the TLE genes in mammalian development, the expression of one of them, TLE 1, was analysed during mouse embryogenesis. This gene is expressed during a number of cell-determination events, including embryonic segmentation, central and peripheral neurogenesis, and epithelial differentiation. This pattern resembles groucho function in Drosophila and suggests that Groucho and TLE 1 protein may play similar developmental roles. These results also show that TLE 1 is co-expressed during a variety of cell - fate choices with several vertebrate homologs of genes implicated in the Drosophila Notch cascade, suggesting a role for the TLE 1 protein in mammalian Notch signaling