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Signaling pathways that mediate cell-cell communication are essential for collective cell behaviors in multicellular systems. The hedgehog (HH) pathway, first discovered and elucidated in Drosophila, is one of these iconic signaling systems that plays many roles during embryogenesis and in adults; abnormal HH signaling can lead to birth defects and cancer. We review recent structural and biochemical studies that have advanced our understanding of the vertebrate HH pathway, focusing on the mechanisms by which the HH signal is received by patched on target cells, transduced across the cell membrane by smoothened, and transmitted to the nucleus by GLI proteins to influence gene-expression programs.

Original publication

DOI

10.1242/dev.166892

Type

Journal article

Journal

Development (Cambridge, England)

Publication Date

15/05/2019

Volume

146

Addresses

Departments of Biochemistry and Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.

Keywords

Animals, Vertebrates, Humans, Signal Transduction, Hedgehog Proteins