Notch is a receptor protein displayed on the surface of certain cells in developing fruit fly embryos. Notch's ligand is a membrane-bound protein called Delta that is displayed on the
surface of adjacent cells. When Notch is activated by its ligand, the intracellular tail of the
Notch protein becomes separated from the rest of the protein. This allows the intracellular
tail to move to the cell's nucleus and alter the expression of specific genes. Which of the
following statements best explains Delta's role in regulating cell communication through the
Notch signaling pathway?