Description
DLL4, also known as Delta-Like protein 4, is a membrane protein belonging to the Delta/Serrate/Lag2 (DSL) family of Notch ligands. It is predicted to encode a membrane-bound ligand, characterized by an extracellular region containing several EGF-like domains and a DSL domain required for receptor binding. DLL4 is expressed highly and selectively within the arterial endothelium and has been shown to function as a ligand for Notch 1 and Notch 4. The Notch signaling pathway is fundamental to proper cardiovascular development and is now recognized as an important player in tumor angiogenesis. Two key Notch ligands have been implicated in tumor angiogenesis, Delta-like 4 and Jagged1. Recombinant human DLL4, fused to His-tag at C-terminus, was expressed in HEK293 cell and purified by using conventional chromatography techniques