DLK1 and DLK2 are vertebrate specific non-canonical Notch ligands. Dlk1 is imprinted
throughout murine development [76] but selectively loses its imprint in the postnatal neurogenic
niche by an unknown mechanism [78]. Possessing both secreted and membrane-tethered
isoforms[212, 211], DLK1 plays critical roles in a wide range of developmental
processes and is implicated in several diseases, including obesity and cancer[35, 241]. Apart
from a few exceptions[78], in the majority of processes, the precise roles and relative contributions
of membrane-bound and secreted DLK1 are unknown . DLK2 is a related gene with
homology to DLK1 [108, 49]; however virtually nothing is known about it. Preliminary data
from the Ferguson-Smith lab suggests that it is involved in neurogenesis in the Zebrafish.
This project investigates the role that DLK2 plays in wild-type mice and compares the gene
to DLK1.My work was funded by a Wellcome Trust studentship and a Lander studentship from my college
