# NOTCH3 N-terminal fragmentation in cerebral small vessel disease

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · 2021 · $315,000

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) is the
most common inherited cause of small vessel disease (SVD), a condition that results in stroke and dementia.
Our mission is to understand the molecular pathology of CADASIL in order to define pathways which can be
targeted to treat SVD. A majority of CADASIL is caused by cysteine-altering mutations in NOTCH3,
suggesting that local redox alteration of the protein is pathogenic. Consequently, altered forms of NOTCH3
may lead to the primary pathological features of CADASIL, which include massive protein accumulation, cell
separation, and smooth muscle cell death. In preliminary studies, we identify a novel N-terminal fragment
(NTF) of NOTCH3. NTF is a 41 amino acid fragment derived from proteolysis of full-length NOTCH3 that is
abundantly expressed in arteries of CADASIL patients. Moreover, NTF is confined to the media of arteries, a
region that suffers intense cellular damage in SVD. NTF injected into brains of mice associates with vessels
and causes profound small vessels narrowing. Finally, transgenic mice making NTF develop adult onset
neurological signs and early death, suggesting the NTF initiates SVD. In this proposal, we hypothesize that
NTF is generated by proteolysis of misfolded NOTCH3 and collaborates with full length NOTCH3 to exert
neuropathology. Two aims will be pursued: (1) we will characterize the molecular features of NOTCH3 that
lead to the generation of NTF, and (2) we will test whether NOTCH3 full length protein is required for NTF to
promote SVD of the brain. These studies of CADASIL will potential implicate NTF as a novel pathological
protein factor in the genesis of SVD.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10131276
- **Project number:** 5R01NS099160-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR
- **Principal Investigator:** Michael M Wang
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $315,000
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-08-01 → 2023-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10131276

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10131276, NOTCH3 N-terminal fragmentation in cerebral small vessel disease (5R01NS099160-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10131276. Licensed CC0.

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