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Updated: Oct 4, 2025

Quantitative PCR-based Assay to Measure Sonic Hedgehog Signaling in Cellular Model of Ciliogenesis
Published on: January 31, 2025
Aberrant expression of the extracellular matrix component Biglycan regulated by Hedgehog signalling promotes
Shaopeng Zeng1,2, Feifei Zhou1,2,3, Yiqing Wang1,2
1Center for Experimental Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, China.
Abstract:
Hedgehog (Hh) signalling plays essential roles in regulating embryonic development and contributes to tumour initiation, growth and progression in multiple cancers. The detailed mechanism by which Hh signalling participates in tumour growth warrants thorough study, although several downstream target genes have been identified. Herein, a set of novel targets of Hh signalling was identified in multiple types of tumour cells via RNA-Seq analysis. Among these targets, the expression regulation and oncogenic function of the extracellular matrix component biglycan (BGN) were investigated. Further investigation verified that Hh signalling activates the expression of BGN via the transcription factor Gli2, which directly binds to the promoter region of BGN. Functional assays revealed that BGN facilitates tumour cell growth and proliferation in colorectal cancer (CRC) cells, and xenograft assays confirmed that BGN also promotes tumour growth . Moreover, analysis of clinical CRC samples showed that both the protein and mRNA levels of BGN are increased in CRC tissues compared to those in adjacent tissues, and higher expression of BGN is correlated with poorer prognosis of CRC patients, further confirming the function of BGN in CRC. Taken together, aberrantly activated Hh signalling increases the expression of BGN, possibly regulates the extracellular matrix, and thereby promotes tumour growth in CRC.
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