The mechanism of hedgehog signal transduction.
Hedgehog (Hh) proteins are one of a small number of families of secreted signalling proteins that are responsible for cell interactions during development in many animals. As such, Hh signals produce many different responses at different times and in different cells. As for other multifunctional ligands, this requires regulated patterns of expression, special mechanisms for ligand movement between cells and ligand destruction, and mechanisms for integrating a generic signalling state (on or off) with the status of responding cells in order to produce an appropriate cell-specific response. Here I discuss what is known about the biochemical mechanisms by which an Hh signal is transduced in order to change the patterns of gene transcription.
Kalderon
D
D
Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, 1212 Amsterdam Ave., New York, NY 10027, USA. ddk1@columbia.edu
D000818:Animals; D047389:Casein Kinase I / Q000378:metabolism; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D053823:Hedgehog Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000378:metabolism; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D000072086:Smoothened Receptor; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D053823:Hedgehog Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D000072086:Smoothened Receptor; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors; C092937:ci protein, Drosophila; C070844:ptc protein, Drosophila; C100664:smo protein, Drosophila; D047389:Casein Kinase I; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases