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Hedgehog Signaling Pathway02:33

Hedgehog Signaling Pathway

The Hedgehog gene (Hh) was first discovered due to its control of the growth of disorganized, hair-like bristles phenotype in Drosophila, much like hedgehog spines. Hh plays a crucial role in the development of organs and the maintenance of homeostasis in both invertebrates and vertebrates. However, while Drosophila has only one Hh protein, mammals have multiple functional Hedgehog proteins - Sonic (Shh), Desert (Dhh), and Indian Hedgehog (Ihh). All of these homologous proteins have adapted to...
Hedgehog Signaling Pathway02:33

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The Sonic hedgehog gradient in the developing limb.

Cheryll Tickle1, Heather Barker

  • 1Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, UK. c.a.tickle@bath.ac.uk.

Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews. Developmental Biology
|September 7, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling is crucial for vertebrate limb development, particularly digit patterning. While Shh gradients are key in chick limbs, their role in mammalian digit formation remains complex and not fully understood.

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Area of Science:

  • Developmental Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • Sonic hedgehog (Shh) is a secreted protein crucial for antero-posterior patterning in vertebrate limb development.
  • The polarizing region (or zone of polarizing activity, ZPA) in chick wing buds is a known signaling center for Shh.
  • Shh signaling is conserved across vertebrates, including mammals, and is dose-dependent and long-range.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling in vertebrate limb and digit patterning.
  • To explore the mechanisms by which Shh positional information is encoded and translated into digit anatomy in mammals.
  • To understand the link between Shh signaling alterations and congenital limb abnormalities and morphological diversity.

Main Methods:

  • Review of classical embryological experiments identifying the ZPA.
  • Analysis of Sonic hedgehog (Shh) gene expression in chick wing buds.
  • Examination of Shh signal transduction mechanisms in vertebrate limb development.

Main Results:

  • Shh is expressed in the posterior limb bud and exhibits characteristics of polarizing region signaling.
  • Shh signaling is essential for specifying the antero-posterior pattern of digits.
  • A simple Shh gradient is unlikely to solely explain digit pattern formation in mammalian limbs.

Conclusions:

  • Shh signaling is a conserved mechanism for antero-posterior patterning in vertebrate limbs.
  • The precise encoding of Shh positional information for mammalian digit anatomy requires further investigation.
  • Variations in Shh signaling timing and extent contribute to limb abnormalities and evolutionary morphological diversity.