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Review
. 2011 Nov 22;4(200):pe44.
doi: 10.1126/scisignal.2002447.

Barcoding Hedgehog for intracellular transport

Thomas B Kornberg  1
Affiliations
Review

Barcoding Hedgehog for intracellular transport

Thomas B Kornberg. Sci Signal. .

Abstract

Hedgehog, an essential protein for the development of many vertebrate and invertebrate organs, signals at both short and long distances to control growth and patterning. The mechanism by which it moves between source and target cells is not known, but characterization of the covalent modification of its N terminus with palmitate and of its C terminus with cholesterol has led to the suggestion that the lipophilic properties of the modified protein serve to regulate movement after its secretion into the extracellular space. Another interpretation and model is that the C-terminal cholesterol acts to target Hedgehog to an intracellular trafficking pathway that prepares Hedgehog for release in an encapsulated form.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Wild-type and variant forms of Hedgehog.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Model of Hh transit in a Hh-producing cell. (A) Hh is synthesized and transported to the apical membrane (left panel). Hh that is modified by cholesterol can be captured by endocytosis into vesicles that mature and move to the basolateral membrane (middle panel). Hh-bearing vesicles are exported through cytonemes at the basolateral membrane (right panel). (B) Model of movement of non-cholesterol-modified Hh-N to the apical compartment (left panel), accumulation apically and on the apical membrane (middle panel), and eventually to apical release (right panel).
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