Recent advances in hedgehog signalling

Vertebrate Hedgehog signalling modulated by induction of a Hedgehog-binding protein

The Hedgehog signalling pathway is essential for the development of diverse tissues during embryogenesis. Signalling is activated by binding of Hedgehog protein to the multipass membrane protein Patched (Ptc). We have now identified a novel component in the vertebrate signalling pathway, which we name Hip (for Hedgehog-interacting protein) because of its ability to bind Hedgehog proteins. Hip encodes a membrane glycoprotein that binds to all three mammalian Hedgehog proteins with an affinity comparable to that of Ptc-1. Hip-expressing cells are located next to cells that express each Hedgehog gene. Hip expression is induced by ectopic Hedgehog signalling and is lost in Hedgehog mutants. Thus, Hip, like Ptc-1, is a general transcriptional target of Hedgehog signalling. Overexpression of Hip in cartilage, where Indian hedgehog (Ihh) controls growth, leads to a shortened skeleton that resembles that seen when Ihh function is lost (B. St-Jacques, M. Hammerschmidt & A.P.M., in preparation). Our findings support a model in which Hip attenuates Hedgehog signalling as a result of binding to Hedgehog proteins: a negative regulatory feedback loop established in this way could thus modulate the responses to any Hedgehog signal.

Recruitment of a hedgehog regulatory circuit in butterfly eyespot evolution

The origin of new morphological characters is a long-standing problem in evolutionary biology. Novelties arise through changes in development, but the nature of these changes is largely unknown. In butterflies, eyespots have evolved as new pattern elements that develop from special organizers called foci. Formation of these foci is associated with novel expression patterns of the Hedgehog signaling protein, its receptor Patched, the transcription factor Cubitus interruptus, and the engrailed target gene that break the conserved compartmental restrictions on this regulatory circuit in insect wings. Redeployment of preexisting regulatory circuits may be a general mechanism underlying the evolution of novelties.

Signalling functions of protein palmitoylation

Covalent lipid modifications anchor numerous signalling proteins to the cytoplasmic face of the plasma membrane. These modifications mediate protein-membrane and protein-protein interactions and are often essential for function. Protein palmitoylation, due to its reversible nature, may be particularly important for modulating protein function during cycles of activation and deactivation. Despite intense investigation, the exact functions of protein palmitoylation are not well understood. However, it is clear that palmitoylation can affect a protein's affinity for membranes, subcellular localization, and interactions with other proteins. In this review, recent advances in understanding the functions and mechanisms of protein palmitoylation are discussed, with particular emphasis on how this lipid affects the biochemistry and cell biology of signalling proteins.

Sterols regulate processing of carbohydrate chains of wild-type SREBP cleavage-activating protein (SCAP), but not sterol-resistant mutants Y298C or D443N

SREBP cleavage activating protein (SCAP), a membrane-bound glycoprotein, regulates the proteolytic activation of sterol regulatory element binding proteins (SREBPs), which are membrane-bound transcription factors that control lipid synthesis in animal cells. SCAP-stimulated proteolysis releases active fragments of SREBPs from membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum and allows them to enter the nucleus where they activate transcription. Sterols such as 25-hydroxycholesterol inactivate SCAP, suppressing SREBP proteolysis and turning off cholesterol synthesis. We here report the isolation of Chinese hamster ovary cells with a point mutation in SCAP (Y298C) that renders the protein resistant to inhibition by 25-hydroxycholesterol. Like the previously described D443N mutation, the Y298C mutation occurs within the putative sterol-sensing domain, which is part of the polytopic membrane attachment region of SCAP. Cells that express SCAP(Y298C) continued to process SREBPs in the presence of 25-hydroxycholesterol and hence they resisted killing by this sterol. In wild-type Chinese hamster ovary cells the N-linked carbohydrate chains of SCAP were mostly in the endoglycosidase H-sensitive form when cells were grown in medium containing 25-hydroxycholesterol. In contrast, when cells were grown in sterol-depleted medium, these chains were converted to an endoglycosidase H-resistant form. 25-Hydroxycholesterol had virtually no effect in cells expressing SCAP(D443N) or SCAP(Y298C). The relation between this regulated carbohydrate processing to the SCAP-regulated proteolysis of SREBP remains to be explored.

Analysis of epithelial-mesenchymal interactions in the initial morphogenesis of the mammalian tooth

Epithelial-mesenchymal interactions govern the development of epidermal organs such as teeth. During the early stages of tooth development, a local ectodermal thickening which expresses several signaling molecules appears. It is believed that these in turn signal to the underlying mesenchyme triggering mesenchymal condensation and tooth development. For example, epithelially expressed Bmp4 induces Msx1 and Lef1 as well as itself in the underlying mesenchyme. In this paper we have investigated the role of four epithelial signaling molecules, Bmp2, Shh, Wnt10a, and Wnt10b, in the early inductive cascades that govern tooth development. We show that all four genes are specifically expressed in the epithelium between E11.0 and E12.0 when tooth morphogenesis is first apparent. Although Shh, Bmp2, and Wnt10b have similar, if not identical, expression patterns, each signal has a distinct molecular action on the jaw mesenchyme. Whereas Shh and Wnt10b can induce general Hedgehog and Wnt targets, Ptc and Gli for Shh and Lef1 for Wnt10b, only Bmp2 is able to induce tooth-specific expression of Msx1. Thus, there are distinct targets for all three pathways. Interestingly, both Bmp and Wnt signaling activate Lef1, making it a candidate for integrating the two distinct signaling pathways.

Sonic hedgehog regulates branching morphogenesis in the mammalian lung

The mammalian lung, like many other organs, develops by branching morphogenesis of an epithelium [1]. Development initiates with evagination of two ventral buds of foregut endoderm into the underlying splanchnic mesoderm. As the buds extend, they send out lateral branches at precise, invariant positions, establishing the primary airways and the lobes of each lung. Dichotomous branching leads to further extension of the airways. Grafting studies have demonstrated the importance of bronchial mesenchyme in inducing epithelial branching, but the significance of epithelial signaling has largely been unstudied. The morphogen Sonic hedgehog (Shh) is widely expressed in the foregut endoderm and is specifically upregulated in the distal epithelium of the lung where branching is occurring [2]. Ectopic expression of Shh disrupts branching and increases proliferation, suggesting that local Shh signaling regulates lung development [2]. We report here that Shh is essential for development of the respiratory system. In Shh null mutants, we found that the trachea and esophagus do not separate properly and the lungs form a rudimentary sac due to failure of branching and growth after formation of the primary lung buds. Interestingly, normal proximo-distal differentiation of the airway epithelium occurred, indicating that Shh is not needed for differentiation events. In addition, the transcription of several mesenchymally expressed downstream targets of Shh is abolished. These results highlight the importance of epithelially derived Shh in regulating branching morphogenesis of the lung.

Sonic hedgehog signaling is essential for hair development

BACKGROUND

The skin is responsible for forming a variety of epidermal structures that differ amongst vertebrates. In each case the specific structure (for example scale, feather or hair) arises from an epidermal placode as a result of epithelial-mesenchymal interactions with the underlying dermal mesenchyme. Expression of members of the Wnt, Hedgehog and bone morphogenetic protein families (Wnt10b, Sonic hedgehog (Shh) and Bmp2/Bmp4, respectively) in the epidermis correlates with the initiation of hair follicle formation. Further, their expression continues into either the epidermally derived hair matrix which forms the hair itself, or the dermal papilla which is responsible for induction of the hair matrix. To address the role of Shh in the hair follicle, we have examined Shh null mutant mice.

RESULTS

We found that follicle development in the Shh mutant embryo arrested after the initial epidermal-dermal interactions that lead to the formation of a dermal papilla anlage and ingrowth of the epidermis. Wnt10b, Bmp2 and Bmp4 continued to be expressed at this time, however. When grafted to nude mice (which lack T cells), Shh mutant skin gave rise to large abnormal follicles containing a small dermal papilla. Although these follicles showed high rates of proliferation and some differentiation of hair matrix cells into hair-shaft-like material, no hair was formed.

CONCLUSIONS

Shh signaling is not required for initiating hair follicle development. Shh signaling is essential, however, for controlling ingrowth and morphogenesis of the hair follicle.

Sonic hedgehog is essential to foregut development

Congenital malformation of the foregut is common in humans, with an estimated incidence of 1 in 3000 live births, although its aetiology remains largely unknown. Mice with a targeted deletion of Sonic hedgehog (Shh) have foregut defects that are apparent as early as embryonic day 9.5, when the tracheal diverticulum begins to outgrow. Homozygous Shh-null mutant mice show oesophageal atresia/stenosis, tracheo-oesophageal fistula and tracheal and lung anomalies, features similar to those observed in humans with foregut defects. The lung mesenchyme shows enhanced cell death, decreased cell proliferation and downregulation of Shh target genes. These results indicate that Shh is required for the growth and differentiation of the oesophagus, trachea and lung, and suggest that mutations in SHH and its signalling components may be involved in foregut defects in humans.

Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome is caused by mutations in the 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase gene

Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome is a frequently occurring autosomal recessive developmental disorder characterized by facial dysmorphisms, mental retardation, and multiple congenital anomalies. Biochemically, the disorder is caused by deficient activity of 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase, which catalyzes the final step in the cholesterol-biosynthesis pathway-that is, the reduction of the Delta7 double bond of 7-dehydrocholesterol to produce cholesterol. We identified a partial transcript coding for human 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase by searching the database of expressed sequence tags with the amino acid sequence for the Arabidopsis thaliana sterol Delta7-reductase and isolated the remaining 5' sequence by the "rapid amplification of cDNA ends" method, or 5'-RACE. The cDNA has an open reading frame of 1,425 bp coding for a polypeptide of 475 amino acids with a calculated molecular weight of 54.5 kD. Heterologous expression of the cDNA in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae confirmed that it codes for 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase. Chromosomal mapping experiments localized the gene to chromosome 11q13. Sequence analysis of fibroblast 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase cDNA from three patients with Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome revealed distinct mutations, including a 134-bp insertion and three different point mutations, each of which was heterozygous in cDNA from the respective parents. Our data demonstrate that Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome is caused by mutations in the gene coding for 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase.

Human developmental disorders and the Sonic hedgehog pathway

Sonic hedgehog (Shh) is a morphogen that is crucial for normal development of a variety of organ systems, including the brain and spinal cord, the eye, craniofacial structures, and the limbs. Mutations in the human SHH gene and genes that encode its downstream intracellular signaling pathway cause several clinical disorders. These include holoprosencephaly (HPE, the most common anomaly of the developing forebrain), nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome, sporadic tumors, including basal cell carcinomas, and three distinct congenital disorders: Greig syndrome Pallister-Hall syndrome, and isolated postaxial polydactyly. These conditions caused by abnormalities in the SHH pathway demonstrate the crucial role of SHH in complex developmental processes, and molecular analyses of these disorders provide insight into the normal function of the SHH pathway in human development.

Topology of SREBP cleavage-activating protein, a polytopic membrane protein with a sterol-sensing domain

The NH2-terminal fragments of sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBPs) are released from endoplasmic reticulum membranes by proteases whose activities depend upon SREBP cleavage-activating protein (SCAP), a polytopic endoplasmic reticulum membrane protein. The activity of SCAP is inhibited by sterols, which appear to interact with the polytopic membrane domain of SCAP. Here, we use protease protection and N-linked glycosylation site-mapping techniques to define the topology of the eight membrane-spanning domains of SCAP. The data indicate that the NH2 terminus and COOH terminus of SCAP face the cytosol. The long intralumenal loops after membrane-spanning segments 1 and 7 are glycosylated, confirming their lumenal location. The region comprising membrane-spanning segments 2-6 shows sequence resemblance to putative sterol-sensing domains in three other proteins: 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase (HMG-CoA reductase), the Niemann-Pick C1 protein, and the morphogen receptor Patched. The orientation of the eight membrane-spanning segments in SCAP is consistent with the model proposed for HMG-CoA reductase (Olender, E. H., and Simoni, R. D. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 4223-4235). The membrane-spanning domains of SCAP and HMG-CoA reductase confer sterol sensitivity upon the functional activities of the two molecules. The common membrane topology of the two proteins is consistent with the notion that sterols regulate both proteins by a common mechanism.

Local inhibitory action of BMPs and their relationships with activators in feather formation: implications for periodic patterning

The formation of periodic patterns is fundamental in biology. Theoretical models describing these phenomena have been proposed for feather patterning; however, no molecular candidates have been identified. Here we show that the feather tract is initiated by a continuous stripe of Shh, Fgf-4, and Ptc expression in the epithelium, which then segregates into discrete feather primordia that are more strongly Shh and Fgf-4 positive. The primordia also become Bmp-2 and Bmp-4 positive. Bead-mediated delivery of BMPs inhibits local feather formation in contrast with the activators, SHH and FGF-4, which induce feather formation. Both FGF-4 and SHH induce local expression of Bmp-4, while BMP-4 suppresses local expression of both. FGF-4 also induces Shh. Based on these findings, we propose a model that involves (1) homogeneously distributed global activators that define the field, (2) a position-dependent activator of competence that propagates across the field, and (3) local activators and inhibitors triggered in sites of individual primordia that act in a reaction-diffusion mechanism. A computer simulation model for feather pattern formation is also presented.

Cholesterol metabolism and embryogenesis

Although cholesterol has long been known to be an essential component of cell membranes in vertebrate organisms, recent studies have suggested that cholesterol plays a crucial role in specific processes during embryonic development, including the covalent modification of Hedgehog proteins. Here we review the overlapping developmental phenotypes associated with pharmacologically or genetically induced defects in cholesterol biosynthesis, embryonic cholesterol transport and Hedgehog proteins. Shared aspects of these phenotypes suggest that common mechanisms underlie impaired central nervous system development associated with cholesterol deficiency.

The effect of pertussis toxin on zebrafish development: a possible role for inhibitory G-proteins in hedgehog signaling

Recent results have indicated that cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) acts as a negative regulator of Hedgehog signaling in target cells of the vertebrate embryo. Consequently, suppression of PKA activity is sufficient to mimic the effect of receiving a Hedgehog signal. We have explored whether PKA-inhibiting Gi-proteins (GiPs) may also be involved in the regulation of Hedgehog signaling. Zebrafish embryos were injected with RNA encoding pertussis toxin (Ptx), a specific inhibitor of GiPs. These embryos developed phenotypic traits opposite to embryos expressing a dominant negative form of the PKA regulatory subunit (dnPKA), including a fusion of the eyes, a lack of ventral specification in the forebrain, and an expansion of the sclerotome at the expense of adaxial fates in the posterior somites. These effects can be partially rescued by coexpression of dnPKA, but not by coexpression of Indian Hedgehog, suggesting that GiPs act upstream of PKA and downstream of Hedgehogs. Other Hedgehog- and PKA-dependent processes, sclerotomal specification and adaxial specification in the first five somites, are not negatively affected by Ptx. Thus, GiPs may be involved in Hedgehog signaling in some, but not all target cells.

Neuronal diversification: development of motor neuron subtypes

Recent progress has been made in defining the developmental mechanisms that contribute to the diversification of motor neuron subtypes, which differ in transcription factor gene expression and synaptic connections. These studies suggest that progenitor cells acquire specific motor neuron identities through the coordinate actions of multiple factors. Current evidence suggests that Sonic hedgehog initiates a common pathway for motor neuron differentiation, while positionally distributed factors act to assign subtype identities.

Recapitulation of signals regulating embryonic bone formation during postnatal growth and in fracture repair

A number of proteins have recently been identified which play roles in regulating bone development. One important example is Indian hedgehog (Ihh) which is secreted by the prehyprtrophic chondrocytes. Ihh acts as an activator of a second secreted factor, parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP), which, in turn, negatively regulates the rate of chondrocyte differentiation. Here we examine the expression of these genes and their molecular targets during different stages of bone development. In addition to regulating PTHrP expression in the perichondrium, we find evidence that Ihh may also act on the chondrocytes themselves at particular stages. As bone growth continues postnatally in mammals and the developmental process is reactivated during fracture repair, understanding the molecular basis regulating bone development is of medical relevance. We find that the same molecules that regulate embryonic endochondral ossification are also expressed during postnatal bone growth and fracture healing, suggesting that these processes are controlled by similar mechanisms.