title: Sonic hedgehog signalling pathway: a complex network.
abstract: Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) signalling cascade is one of the intricate signal transduction mechanisms that govern the precisely regulated developmental processes of multicellular organisms. Along with establishing the patterns of cellular differentiation to direct complex organ formation, it also has an important role in post-embryonic tissue regeneration and repair processes. Especially, Shh signalling is implicated in the induction of multifarious neuronal populations in central nervous system. There is compelling evidence of the involvement of Shh protein in the signalling network that regulates various morphogenetic processes such as the exquisite neural tube pattern formation. In the morphogenetic field, the activation of Shh signalling processes is intricately linked to the alterations at the molecular level in the structure of Shh protein that leads to its altered biophysical and biochemical reactivity. This brief article gives an overview of such complex cascade of events in Shh signalling and its transduction pathways.
authors.affiliation: Douglas Hospital Research Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H4H 1R3; ; Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3H 1B1; ; Division of Research & Medical Education, International Maternal and Child Health Foundation, Montreal, QC, Canada, H7S 2N5;
authors.forename: Zia
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Choudhry
authors.affiliation: Douglas Hospital Research Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H4H 1R3; ; Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3A 1A1;
authors.forename: Azadeh A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Rikani
authors.affiliation: Division of Research & Medical Education, International Maternal and Child Health Foundation, Montreal, QC, Canada, H7S 2N5;
authors.forename: Adnan Maqsood
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Choudhry
authors.affiliation: Department of Dental Sciences, Clifton Hospital, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan, 71000;
authors.forename: Sadaf
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tariq
authors.affiliation: Millbourne Mall Medical Centre, Primary Care Network Edmonton, AB, Canada, T6T 1L5,; ; Meadowbrook Medical Clinic, Primary Care Network, Edmonton, AB, Canada, T6T 1L5;
authors.forename: Fozia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zakaria
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, T6G 2P4;
authors.forename: Muhammad Waheed
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Asghar
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, T6G 2P4;
authors.forename: Muhammad Khan
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Sarfraz
authors.affiliation: Medicentres, Edmonton, AB, Canada, T6L 6N3;
authors.forename: Kamran
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Haider
authors.affiliation: Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan, 71000;
authors.forename: Afia Ansar
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Shafiq
authors.affiliation: Institute of Integrated Cell-Material Science, Kyoto University, Yoshida Ushinomiyacho, Sakyo-ku, Japan, 606-8501.
authors.forename: Nusrat Jahan
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Mobassarah
keywords: Autoproteolysis; Holoprosencephaly; Lipidation; Neural tube pattern; Notochord; Sonic hedgehog