Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2013, 14, 6359-6381; doi:10.3390/ijms14036359 OPEN ACCESS International Journal of Molecular Sciences ISSN 1422-0067 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijms Review Ubiquitinations in the Notch Signaling Pathway Julien Moretti 1 and Christel Brou 2,* 1 Immunology Institute, Department of Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, 1425 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, USA; E-Mail:
[email protected] 2 Institut Pasteur and CNRS URA 2582, Signalisation Moléculaire et Activation Cellulaire, 25 rue du Docteur Roux, 75724 Paris cedex 15, France * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail:
[email protected]; Tel.: +33-1-40-61-30-41 Fax: +33-1-40-61-30-40. Received: 1 February 2013; in revised form: 11 March 2013 / Accepted: 14 March 2013 / Published: 19 March 2013 Abstract: The very conserved Notch pathway is used iteratively during development and adulthood to regulate cell fates. Notch activation relies on interactions between neighboring cells, through the binding of Notch receptors to their ligands, both transmembrane molecules. This inter-cellular contact initiates a cascade of events eventually transforming the cell surface receptor into a nuclear factor acting on the transcription of specific target genes. This review highlights how the various processes undergone by Notch receptors and ligands that regulate the pathway are linked to ubiquitination events. Keywords: Notch; ubiquitination; deubiquitinating enzyme; signal transduction; trafficking 1. Introduction Development and maintenance of organs and tissues requires constant interaction and communication between cells. One of the major signaling pathways involved in cell-cell communication is the Notch pathway. This pathway is highly conserved in animals as distantly related as C.