Boning up on Hedehog's movements

Article Abstract:

The Hedgehog (Hh) group of secreted proteins act as intercellular signals in many processes. In Drosphila melanogaster, the fruitfly, six genes are implicated in transduction of the Hh signal. Human homologues of three of them are identified as oncogenes or tumour suppressors in the nervous system and the skin. Bellaiche and colleagues have discovered a seventh gene, named tout-velu (ttv), which is shown to mediate movement of Hh over responding cells in the wing of Drosophila. ttv is also homologous to EXT-1 and EXT2 which are genes linked to benign bone tumours in humans.

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smoothened encodes a receptor-like serpentine protein required for hedgehog signalling

Article Abstract:

The smoothened (smo) segment polarity gene of Drosophila is needed for cellular response to hedgehog signalling during development of the embryonic segments and imaginal discs. The smo gene is an open reading frame of 1024 amino acid that encodes a protein containing seven putative transmembrane domains which is typical of G-protein-coupled receptors. This indicates that the Smoothened protein may have a role in signalling and function as a receptor for the Hedgehog ligand.

Cellular signal transduction, Cell receptors

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Induction of a specific muscle cell type by a hedgehog-like protein in zebrafish

Article Abstract:

Echidna hedgehog is expressed in the notochord and protects the muscle pioneer cell differentiation in zebrafish mutants lacking the notochord. The patterning activities of the notochord are regulated by the protein, Sonic hedgehog, in vivo. Combined expression of ectopic echidna hedgehog and sonic hedgehog activates supernumary muscle pioneers in wild-type embryos. This suggests that both signals act in a sequential manner in the patterning of developing somites.

Analysis, Fishes, Gene expression, Developmental neurology, Muscle cells, Animal anatomy

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