The LIN-12/Notch family of transmembrane receptors is believed to play a central role in development by regulating cell fate decisions. Ligands for Notch include Jagged1, Jagged2 and Delta. Jagged is a membrane protein and can activate Notch and prevent myoblast differentiation by inhibiting the expression of muscle regulatory and structural genes. It is involved in mammalian cardiovascular development and in cell-fate decisions during hematopoiesis. Jagged is expressed in adult and fetal tissues, and expression is upregulated in cervical squamous cell carcinoma. Familial Tetralogy of Fallot, the most common form of complex congenital heart disease, is caused by a mutation in the Jagged1 gene.
