New players and puzzles in the Hedgehog signaling pathway.
Members of the Hedgehog (Hh) family of signaling proteins control cell fates and proliferation during animal development in part by regulating the transcription of specific genes. Depending on the tissue, Hh can act over long or short distances, to signal directly or by inducing secondary signals. Recent discoveries include new components of the pathway as well as novel regulatory mechanisms involving cholesterol, proteolysis, and the cytoskeleton. The role of Hh in carcinogenesis is underscored by the identification of mutations in several pathway components in skin and brain tumors.
Johnson
R L
RL
Department of Developmental Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, California 94305-5329, USA.
Scott
M P
MP
D000818:Animals; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D053823:Hedgehog Proteins; D006801:Humans; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D000072079:Patched Receptors; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D015398:Signal Transduction; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D053823:Hedgehog Proteins; D019476:Insect Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D000072079:Patched Receptors; D011506:Proteins; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D015534:Trans-Activators; C070844:ptc protein, Drosophila; C077245:hh protein, Drosophila; D002784:Cholesterol