Hedgehog Signaling Antibody Sampler Kit

Background

The evolutionarily conserved Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway plays critical roles in the regulation of patterning, growth, and cell migration during embryonic development and adult tissue homeostasis. Aberrant Hh signaling activity can be associated with numerous birth defects and uncontrolled Hh pathway activation is linked to the development of several types of cancers (1-2). The three identified vertebrate Hh genes are Sonic (Shh), Indian (Ihh), and Desert (Dhh), all of which have distinct as well as overlapping roles (3-5). Patched1 and 2 (PTCH1 and PTCH2) are twelve-pass transmembrane proteins that function as the Hh receptors (6-9). The general organization of the Hh pathway consists of a series of repressive interactions. In the absence of Hh proteins (off-state), PTCH suppresses the otherwise constitutively active signaling receptor Smoothened (Smo) (1,2). In the off-state, SUFU (Suppressor of Fused), originally identified in Drosophila as a suppressor of the Fused (Fu) kinase (10), suppresses Hh signaling by regulating the localization of the transcription factors Gli and Ci (11,12). In Drosophila, SUFU may also positively regulate Hh signaling depending on SUFU protein levels and Hh signal intensity (13).