Cholesterol accessibility at the ciliary membrane controls hedgehog signaling

Sonic Hedgehog activates prostaglandin signaling to stabilize primary cilium length

Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) is a driver of embryonic patterning that, when corrupted, triggers developmental disorders and cancers. SHH effector responses are organized through primary cilia (PC) that grow and retract with the cell cycle and in response to extracellular cues. Disruption of PC homeostasis corrupts SHH regulation, placing significant pressure on the pathway to maintain ciliary fitness. Mechanisms by which ciliary robustness is ensured in SHH-stimulated cells are not yet known. Herein, we reveal a crosstalk circuit induced by SHH activation of Phospholipase A2α that drives ciliary E-type prostanoid receptor 4 (EP4) signaling to ensure PC function and stabilize ciliary length. We demonstrate that blockade of SHH-EP4 crosstalk destabilizes PC cyclic AMP (cAMP) equilibrium, slows ciliary transport, reduces ciliary length, and attenuates SHH pathway induction. Accordingly, Ep4-/- mice display shortened neuroepithelial PC and altered SHH-dependent neuronal cell fate specification. Thus, SHH initiates coordination between distinct ciliary receptors to maintain PC function and length homeostasis for robust downstream signaling.

A multi-layered integrative analysis reveals a cholesterol metabolic program in outer radial glia with implications for human brain evolution

The definition of molecular and cellular mechanisms contributing to brain ontogenetic trajectories is essential to investigate the evolution of our species. Yet their functional dissection at an appropriate level of granularity remains challenging. Capitalizing on recent efforts that have extensively profiled neural stem cells from the developing human cortex, we develop an integrative computational framework to perform trajectory inference and gene regulatory network reconstruction, (pseudo)time-informed non-negative matrix factorization for learning the dynamics of gene expression programs, and paleogenomic analysis for a higher-resolution mapping of derived regulatory variants in our species in comparison with our closest relatives. We provide evidence for cell type-specific regulation of gene expression programs during indirect neurogenesis. In particular, our analysis uncovers a key role for a cholesterol program in outer radial glia, regulated by zinc-finger transcription factor KLF6. A cartography of the regulatory landscape impacted by Homo sapiens-derived variants reveals signals of selection clustering around regulatory regions associated with GLI3, a well-known regulator of radial glial cell cycle, and impacting KLF6 regulation. Our study contributes to the evidence of significant changes in metabolic pathways in recent human brain evolution.

Emerging mechanistic understanding of cilia function in cellular signalling

Primary cilia are solitary, immotile sensory organelles present on most cells in the body that participate broadly in human health, physiology and disease. Cilia generate a unique environment for signal transduction with tight control of protein, lipid and second messenger concentrations within a relatively small compartment, enabling reception, transmission and integration of biological information. In this Review, we discuss how cilia function as signalling hubs in cell-cell communication using three signalling pathways as examples: ciliary G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), the Hedgehog (Hh) pathway and polycystin ion channels. We review how defects in these ciliary signalling pathways lead to a heterogeneous group of conditions known as 'ciliopathies', including metabolic syndromes, birth defects and polycystic kidney disease. Emerging understanding of these pathways' transduction mechanisms reveals common themes between these cilia-based signalling pathways that may apply to other pathways as well. These mechanistic insights reveal how cilia orchestrate normal and pathophysiological signalling outputs broadly throughout human biology.

Paradoxes: Cholesterol and Hypoxia in Preeclampsia

Preeclampsia, a hypertensive disease of pregnancy of unknown etiology, is intensely studied as a model of cardiovascular disease (CVD) not only due to multiple shared pathologic elements but also because changes that develop over decades in CVD appear and resolve within days in preeclampsia. Those affected by preeclampsia and their offspring experience increased lifetime risks of CVD. At the systemic level, preeclampsia is characterized by increased cellular, membrane, and blood levels of cholesterol; however, cholesterol-dependent signaling, such as canonical Wnt/βcatenin, Hedgehog, and endothelial nitric oxide synthase, is downregulated indicating a cholesterol deficit with the upregulation of cholesterol synthesis and efflux. Hypoxia-related signaling in preeclampsia also appears to be paradoxical with increased Hypoxia-Inducible Factors in the placenta but measurably increased oxygen in maternal blood in placental villous spaces. This review addresses the molecular mechanisms by which excessive systemic cholesterol and deficient cholesterol-dependent signaling may arise from the effects of dietary lipid variance and environmental membrane modifiers causing the cellular hypoxia that characterizes preeclampsia.

The neuronal cilium - a highly diverse and dynamic organelle involved in sensory detection and neuromodulation

Cilia are fascinating organelles that act as cellular antennae, sensing the cellular environment. Cilia gained significant attention in the late 1990s after their dysfunction was linked to genetic diseases known as ciliopathies. Since then, several breakthrough discoveries have uncovered the mechanisms underlying cilia biogenesis and function. Like most cells in the animal kingdom, neurons also harbor cilia, which are enriched in neuromodulatory receptors. Yet, how neuronal cilia modulate neuronal physiology and animal behavior remains poorly understood. By comparing ciliary biology between the sensory and central nervous systems (CNS), we provide new perspectives on the functions of cilia in brain physiology.

GPR161 structure uncovers the redundant role of sterol-regulated ciliary cAMP signaling in the Hedgehog pathway

The orphan G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) GPR161 plays a central role in development by suppressing Hedgehog signaling. The fundamental basis of how GPR161 is activated remains unclear. Here, we determined a cryogenic-electron microscopy structure of active human GPR161 bound to heterotrimeric Gs. This structure revealed an extracellular loop 2 that occupies the canonical GPCR orthosteric ligand pocket. Furthermore, a sterol that binds adjacent to transmembrane helices 6 and 7 stabilizes a GPR161 conformation required for Gs coupling. Mutations that prevent sterol binding to GPR161 suppress Gs-mediated signaling. These mutants retain the ability to suppress GLI2 transcription factor accumulation in primary cilia, a key function of ciliary GPR161. By contrast, a protein kinase A-binding site in the GPR161 C terminus is critical in suppressing GLI2 ciliary accumulation. Our work highlights how structural features of GPR161 interface with the Hedgehog pathway and sets a foundation to understand the role of GPR161 function in other signaling pathways.

Dysregulation of cellular membrane homeostasis as a crucial modulator of cancer risk

Cellular membranes serve as an epicentre combining extracellular and cytosolic components with membranous effectors, which together support numerous fundamental cellular signalling pathways that mediate biological responses. To execute their functions, membrane proteins, lipids and carbohydrates arrange, in a highly coordinated manner, into well-defined assemblies displaying diverse biological and biophysical characteristics that modulate several signalling events. The loss of membrane homeostasis can trigger oncogenic signalling. More recently, it has been documented that select membrane active dietaries (MADs) can reshape biological membranes and subsequently decrease cancer risk. In this review, we emphasize the significance of membrane domain structure, organization and their signalling functionalities as well as how loss of membrane homeostasis can steer aberrant signalling. Moreover, we describe in detail the complexities associated with the examination of these membrane domains and their association with cancer. Finally, we summarize the current literature on MADs and their effects on cellular membranes, including various mechanisms of dietary chemoprevention/interception and the functional links between nutritional bioactives, membrane homeostasis and cancer biology.

Emerging roles of prominin-1 (CD133) in the dynamics of plasma membrane architecture and cell signaling pathways in health and disease

Prominin-1 (CD133) is a cholesterol-binding membrane glycoprotein selectively associated with highly curved and prominent membrane structures. It is widely recognized as an antigenic marker of stem cells and cancer stem cells and is frequently used to isolate them from biological and clinical samples. Recent progress in understanding various aspects of CD133 biology in different cell types has revealed the involvement of CD133 in the architecture and dynamics of plasma membrane protrusions, such as microvilli and cilia, including the release of extracellular vesicles, as well as in various signaling pathways, which may be regulated in part by posttranslational modifications of CD133 and its interactions with a variety of proteins and lipids. Hence, CD133 appears to be a master regulator of cell signaling as its engagement in PI3K/Akt, Src-FAK, Wnt/β-catenin, TGF-β/Smad and MAPK/ERK pathways may explain its broad action in many cellular processes, including cell proliferation, differentiation, and migration or intercellular communication. Here, we summarize early studies on CD133, as they are essential to grasp its novel features, and describe recent evidence demonstrating that this unique molecule is involved in membrane dynamics and molecular signaling that affects various facets of tissue homeostasis and cancer development. We hope this review will provide an informative resource for future efforts to elucidate the details of CD133's molecular function in health and disease.

Craniofacial bone anomalies related to cholesterol synthesis defects

DHCR7 and SC5D are enzymes crucial for cholesterol biosynthesis, and mutations in their genes are associated with developmental disorders, which are characterized by craniofacial deformities. We have recently reported that a loss of either Dhcr7 or Sc5d results in a failure in osteoblast differentiation. However, it remains unclear to what extent a loss of function in either DHCR7 or SC5D affects craniofacial skeletal formation. Here, using micro computed tomography (μCT), we found that the bone phenotype differs in Dhcr7-/- and Sc5d-/- mice in a location-specific fashion. For instance, in Sc5d-/- mice, although craniofacial bones were overall affected, some bone segments, such as the anterior part of the premaxilla, the anterior-posterior length of the frontal bone, and the main body of the mandible, did not present significant differences compared to WT controls. By contrast, in Dhcr7-/- mice, while craniofacial bones were not much affected, the frontal bone was larger in width and volume, and the maxilla and palatine bone were hypoplastic, compared to WT controls. Interestingly the mandible in Dhcr7-/- mice was mainly affected at the condylar region, not the body. Thus, these results help us understand which bones and how greatly they are affected by cholesterol metabolism aberrations in Dhcr7-/- and Sc5d-/- mice.

Cytoneme signaling provides essential contributions to mammalian tissue patterning

During development, morphogens pattern tissues by instructing cell fate across long distances. Directly visualizing morphogen transport in situ has been inaccessible, so the molecular mechanisms ensuring successful morphogen delivery remain unclear. To tackle this longstanding problem, we developed a mouse model for compromised sonic hedgehog (SHH) morphogen delivery and discovered that endocytic recycling promotes SHH loading into signaling filopodia called cytonemes. We optimized methods to preserve in vivo cytonemes for advanced microscopy and show endogenous SHH localized to cytonemes in developing mouse neural tubes. Depletion of SHH from neural tube cytonemes alters neuronal cell fates and compromises neurodevelopment. Mutation of the filopodial motor myosin 10 (MYO10) reduces cytoneme length and density, which corrupts neuronal signaling activity of both SHH and WNT. Combined, these results demonstrate that cytoneme-based signal transport provides essential contributions to morphogen dispersion during mammalian tissue development and suggest MYO10 is a key regulator of cytoneme function.

Loss of Sc5d results in micrognathia due to a failure in osteoblast differentiation

INTRODUCTION

Mutations in genes related to cholesterol metabolism, or maternal diet and health status, affect craniofacial bone formation. However, the precise role of intracellular cholesterol metabolism in craniofacial bone development remains unclear.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to determine how cholesterol metabolism aberrations affect craniofacial bone development.

METHODS

Mice with a deficiency in Sc5d, which encodes an enzyme involved in cholesterol synthesis, were analyzed with histology, micro computed tomography (microCT), and cellular and molecular biological methods.

RESULTS

Sc5d null mice exhibited mandible hypoplasia resulting from defects in osteoblast differentiation. The activation of the hedgehog and WNT/β-catenin signaling pathways, which induce expression of osteogenic genes Col1a1 and Spp1, was compromised in the mandible of Sc5d null mice due to a failure in the formation of the primary cilium, a cell surface structure that senses extracellular cues. Treatments with an inducer of hedgehog or WNT/β-catenin signaling or with simvastatin, a drug that restores abnormal cholesterol production, partially rescued the defects in osteoblast differentiation seen in Sc5d mutant cells.

CONCLUSION

Our results indicate that loss of Sc5d results in mandibular hypoplasia through defective primary cilia-mediated hedgehog and WNT/β-catenin signaling pathways.

Homeostatic control of stearoyl desaturase expression via patched-like receptor PTR-23 ensures the survival of C. elegans during heat stress

Organismal responses to temperature fluctuations include an evolutionarily conserved cytosolic chaperone machinery as well as adaptive alterations in lipid constituents of cellular membranes. Using C. elegans as a model system, we asked whether adaptable lipid homeostasis is required for survival during physiologically relevant heat stress. By systematic analyses of lipid composition in worms during and before heat stress, we found that unsaturated fatty acids are reduced in heat-stressed animals. This is accompanied by the transcriptional downregulation of fatty acid desaturase enzymes encoded by fat-1, fat-3, fat-4, fat-5, fat-6, and fat-7 genes. Conversely, overexpression of the Δ9 desaturase FAT-7, responsible for the synthesis of PUFA precursor oleic acid, and supplementation of oleic acid causes accelerated death of worms during heat stress. Interestingly, heat stress causes permeability defects in the worm's cuticle. We show that fat-7 expression is reduced in the permeability defective collagen (PDC) mutant, dpy-10, known to have enhanced heat stress resistance (HSR). Further, we show that the HSR of dpy-10 animals is dependent on the upregulation of PTR-23, a patched-like receptor in the epidermis, and that PTR-23 downregulates the expression of fat-7. Consequently, abrogation of ptr-23 in wild type animals affects its survival during heat stress. This study provides evidence for the negative regulation of fatty acid desaturase expression in the soma of C. elegans via the non-canonical role of a patched receptor signaling component. Taken together, this constitutes a skin-gut axis for the regulation of lipid desaturation to promote the survival of worms during heat stress.

Putative Role of Cholesterol in Shaping the Structural and Functional Dynamics of Smoothened (SMO)

The smoothened (SMO) receptor belongs to the superfamily of class F G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and is a potential drug target in several types of cancer. It has two ligand binding sites, respectively, in the cysteine-rich domain (CRD) and the transmembrane domain (TMD). It has been shown that cholesterol is important for its activation and function. However, the molecular-level understanding of SMO dynamics in the presence of cholesterol has not been explored in sufficient detail. In this work, we have carried out atomistic molecular dynamics simulations totaling 3.6 μs to analyze the effect of cholesterol binding to TMD and/or CRD on the structure and dynamics of the SMO receptor. Our results show that the presence of cholesterol in the CRD and TMD, respectively, alters the conformational dynamics of SMO differently. We reported that the reorganization of the D-R-E network at the extracellular end of the TMD is important for the high activity of SMO. In general, the transmembrane helices 5, 6, and 7 and helix 8 are most affected, which, in turn, leads to changes in the CRD and intracellular cytoplasmic domain (ICD) dynamics patterns depending on the presence or absence of cholesterol in the CRD and/or the TMD. We have also reported that the interaction of membrane lipids with SMO is different in different SMO states. These results agree with the experimental structural observations and data of cholesterol-bound and unbound structures of SMO and add to our molecular understanding of the SMO-cholesterol interaction.

Visualization of accessible cholesterol using a GRAM domain-based biosensor

Cholesterol is important for membrane integrity and cell signaling, and dysregulation of the distribution of cellular cholesterol is associated with numerous diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders. While regulated transport of a specific pool of cholesterol, known as "accessible cholesterol", contributes to the maintenance of cellular cholesterol distribution and homeostasis, tools to monitor accessible cholesterol in live cells remain limited. Here, we engineer a highly sensitive accessible cholesterol biosensor by taking advantage of the cholesterol-sensing element (the GRAM domain) of an evolutionarily conserved lipid transfer protein, GRAMD1b. Using this cholesterol biosensor, which we call GRAM-W, we successfully visualize in real time the distribution of accessible cholesterol in many different cell types, including human keratinocytes and iPSC-derived neurons, and show differential dependencies on cholesterol biosynthesis and uptake for maintaining levels of accessible cholesterol. Furthermore, we combine GRAM-W with a dimerization-dependent fluorescent protein (ddFP) and establish a strategy for the ultrasensitive detection of accessible plasma membrane cholesterol. These tools will allow us to obtain important insights into the molecular mechanisms by which the distribution of cellular cholesterol is regulated.

Ciliary localization of a light-activated neuronal GPCR shapes behavior

Many neurons in the central nervous system produce a single primary cilium that serves as a specialized signaling organelle. Several neuromodulatory G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) localize to primary cilia in neurons, although it is not understood how GPCR signaling from the cilium impacts circuit function and behavior. We find that the vertebrate ancient long opsin A (VALopA), a Gi-coupled GPCR extraretinal opsin, targets to cilia of zebrafish spinal neurons. In the developing 1-d-old zebrafish, brief light activation of VALopA in neurons of the central pattern generator circuit for locomotion leads to sustained inhibition of coiling, the earliest form of locomotion. We find that a related extraretinal opsin, VALopB, is also Gi-coupled, but is not targeted to cilia. Light-induced activation of VALopB also suppresses coiling, but with faster kinetics. We identify the ciliary targeting domains of VALopA. Retargeting of both opsins shows that the locomotory response is prolonged and amplified when signaling occurs in the cilium. We propose that ciliary localization provides a mechanism for enhancing GPCR signaling in central neurons.

Phosphatidic acid binding to Patched contributes to the inhibition of Smoothened and Hedgehog signaling in Drosophila wing development

Hedgehog (Hh) signaling controls growth and patterning during embryonic development and homeostasis in adult tissues. Hh binding to the receptor Patched (Ptc) elicits intracellular signaling by relieving Ptc-mediated inhibition of the transmembrane protein Smoothened (Smo). We uncovered a role for the lipid phosphatidic acid (PA) in the regulation of the Hh pathway in Drosophila melanogaster. Deleting the Ptc C-terminal tail or mutating the predicted PA-binding sites within it prevented Ptc from inhibiting Smo in wing discs and in cultured cells. The C-terminal tail of Ptc directly interacted with PA in vitro, an association that was reduced by Hh, and increased the amount of PA at the plasma membrane in cultured cells. Smo also interacted with PA in vitro through a binding pocket located in the transmembrane region, and mutating residues in this pocket reduced Smo activity in vivo and in cells. By genetically manipulating PA amounts in vivo or treating cultured cells with PA, we demonstrated that PA promoted Smo activation. Our findings suggest that Ptc may sequester PA in the absence of Hh and release it in the presence of Hh, thereby increasing the amount of PA that is locally available to promote Smo activation.

Increasing Ciliary ARL13B Expression Drives Active and Inhibitor-Resistant Smoothened and GLI into Glioma Primary Cilia

ADP-ribosylation factor-like protein 13B (ARL13B), a regulatory GTPase and guanine exchange factor (GEF), enriches in primary cilia and promotes tumorigenesis in part by regulating Smoothened (SMO), GLI, and Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) signaling. Gliomas with increased ARL13B, SMO, and GLI2 expression are more aggressive, but the relationship to cilia is unclear. Previous studies have showed that increasing ARL13B in glioblastoma cells promoted ciliary SMO accumulation, independent of exogenous SHH addition. Here, we show that SMO accumulation is due to increased ciliary, but not extraciliary, ARL13B. Increasing ARL13B expression promotes the accumulation of both activated SMO and GLI2 in glioma cilia. ARL13B-driven increases in ciliary SMO and GLI2 are resistant to SMO inhibitors, GDC-0449, and cyclopamine. Surprisingly, ARL13B-induced changes in ciliary SMO/GLI2 did not correlate with canonical changes in downstream SHH pathway genes. However, glioma cell lines whose cilia overexpress WT but not guanine exchange factor-deficient ARL13B, display reduced INPP5e, a ciliary membrane component whose depletion may favor SMO/GLI2 enrichment. Glioma cells overexpressing ARL13B also display reduced ciliary intraflagellar transport 88 (IFT88), suggesting that altered retrograde transport could further promote SMO/GLI accumulation. Collectively, our data suggest that factors increasing ARL13B expression in glioma cells may promote both changes in ciliary membrane characteristics and IFT proteins, leading to the accumulation of drug-resistant SMO and GLI. The downstream targets and consequences of these ciliary changes require further investigation.

Cellular and molecular mechanisms of Hedgehog signalling

The Hedgehog signalling pathway has crucial roles in embryonic tissue patterning, postembryonic tissue regeneration, and cancer, yet aspects of Hedgehog signal transmission and reception have until recently remained unclear. Biochemical and structural studies surprisingly reveal a central role for lipids in Hedgehog signalling. The signal - Hedgehog protein - is modified by cholesterol and palmitate during its biogenesis, thereby necessitating specialized proteins such as the transporter Dispatched and several lipid-binding carriers for cellular export and receptor engagement. Additional lipid transactions mediate response to the Hedgehog signal, including sterol activation of the transducer Smoothened. Access of sterols to Smoothened is regulated by the apparent sterol transporter and Hedgehog receptor Patched, whose activity is blocked by Hedgehog binding. Alongside these lipid-centric mechanisms and their relevance to pharmacological pathway modulation, we discuss emerging roles of Hedgehog pathway activity in stem cells or their cellular niches, with translational implications for regeneration and restoration of injured or diseased tissues.

Sonic hedgehog signaling in craniofacial development

Mutations in SHH and several other genes encoding components of the Hedgehog signaling pathway have been associated with holoprosencephaly syndromes, with craniofacial anomalies ranging in severity from cyclopia to facial cleft to midfacial and mandibular hypoplasia. Studies in animal models have revealed that SHH signaling plays crucial roles at multiple stages of craniofacial morphogenesis, from cranial neural crest cell survival to growth and patterning of the facial primordia to organogenesis of the palate, mandible, tongue, tooth, and taste bud formation and homeostasis. This article provides a summary of the major findings in studies of the roles of SHH signaling in craniofacial development, with emphasis on recent advances in the understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms regulating the SHH signaling pathway activity and those involving SHH signaling in the formation and patterning of craniofacial structures.

The energetics and ion coupling of cholesterol transport through Patched1

Patched1 (PTCH1) is a tumor suppressor protein of the mammalian Hedgehog (HH) signaling pathway, implicated in embryogenesis and tissue homeostasis. PTCH1 inhibits the G protein-coupled receptor Smoothened (SMO) via a debated mechanism involving modulating ciliary cholesterol accessibility. Using extensive molecular dynamics simulations and free energy calculations to evaluate cholesterol transport through PTCH1, we find an energetic barrier of ~15 to 20 kilojoule per mole for cholesterol export. In silico data are coupled to in vivo biochemical assays of PTCH1 mutants to probe coupling between cation binding sites, transmembrane motions, and PTCH1 activity. Using complementary simulations of Dispatched1, we find that transition between "inward-open" and solvent "occluded" states is accompanied by Na+-induced pinching of intracellular helical segments. Thus, our findings illuminate the energetics and ion coupling stoichiometries of PTCH1 transport mechanisms, whereby one to three Na+ or two to three K+ couple to cholesterol export, and provide the first molecular description of transitions between distinct transport states.

Hedgehog target genes regulate lipid metabolism to drive basal cell carcinoma and medulloblastoma

Hedgehog (Hh) signaling is essential for development, homeostasis, and regeneration1. Misactivation of the Hh pathway underlies medulloblastoma, the most common malignant brain tumor in children, and basal cell carcinoma (BCC), the most common cancer in the United States2. Primary cilia regulate Hh signal transduction3, but target genes that drive cell fate decisions in response to ciliary ligands or oncogenic Hh signaling are incompletely understood. Here we define the Hh gene expression program using RNA sequencing of cultured cells treated with ciliary ligands, BCCs from humans, and Hh-associated medulloblastomas from humans and mice (Fig. 1a). To validate our results, we integrate lipidomic mass spectrometry and bacterial metabolite labeling of free sterols with genetic and pharmacologic approaches in cells and mice. Our results reveal novel Hh target genes such as the oxysterol synthase Hsd11β1 and the adipokine Retnla that regulate lipid metabolism to drive cell fate decisions in response to Hh pathway activation. These data provide insights into cellular mechanisms underlying ciliary and oncogenic Hh signaling and elucidate targets to treat Hh-associated cancers.

Transcription factor fluctuations underlie cell-to-cell variability in a signaling pathway response

Stochastic differences among clonal cells can initiate cell fate decisions in development or cause cell-to-cell differences in the responses to drugs or extracellular ligands. One hypothesis is that some of this phenotypic variability is caused by stochastic fluctuations in the activities of transcription factors (TFs). We tested this hypothesis in NIH3T3-CG cells using the response to Hedgehog signaling as a model cellular response. Here, we present evidence for the existence of distinct fast- and slow-responding substates in NIH3T3-CG cells. These two substates have distinct expression profiles, and fluctuations in the Prrx1 TF underlie some of the differences in expression and responsiveness between fast and slow cells. Our results show that fluctuations in TFs can contribute to cell-to-cell differences in Hedgehog signaling.

The hidden hedgehog of the pituitary: hedgehog signaling in development, adulthood and disease of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis

Hedgehog signaling plays pivotal roles in embryonic development, adult homeostasis and tumorigenesis. However, its engagement in the pituitary gland has been long underestimated although Hedgehog signaling and pituitary embryogenic development are closely linked. Thus, deregulation of this signaling pathway during pituitary development results in malformation of the gland. Research of the last years further implicates a regulatory role of Hedgehog signaling in the function of the adult pituitary, because its activity is also interlinked with homeostasis, hormone production, and most likely also formation of neoplasms of the gland. The fact that this pathway can be efficiently targeted by validated therapeutic strategies makes it a promising candidate for treating pituitary diseases. We here summarize the current knowledge about the importance of Hedgehog signaling during pituitary development and review recent data that highlight the impact of Hedgehog signaling in the healthy and the diseased adult pituitary gland.

The Inseparable Relationship Between Cholesterol and Hedgehog Signaling

Ligands of the Hedgehog (HH) pathway are paracrine signaling molecules that coordinate tissue development in metazoans. A remarkable feature of HH signaling is the repeated use of cholesterol in steps spanning ligand biogenesis, secretion, dispersal, and reception on target cells. A cholesterol molecule covalently attached to HH ligands is used as a molecular baton by transfer proteins to guide their secretion, spread, and reception. On target cells, a signaling circuit composed of a cholesterol transporter and sensor regulates transmission of HH signals across the plasma membrane to the cytoplasm. The repeated use of cholesterol in signaling supports the view that the HH pathway likely evolved by coopting ancient systems to regulate the abundance or organization of sterol-like lipids in membranes.

PDLIM3 supports hedgehog signaling in medulloblastoma by facilitating cilia formation

Elevated levels of PDLIM3 expression are frequently detected in sonic hedgehog (SHH) group of medulloblastoma (MB). However, the possible role of PDLIM3 in MB tumorigenesis is still unknown. Here, we found that PDLIM3 expression is necessary for hedgehog (Hh) pathway activation in MB cells. PDLIM3 is present in primary cilia of MB cells and fibroblasts, and such cilia localization is mediated by the PDZ domain of PDLIM3 protein. Deletion of PDLIM3 significantly compromised cilia formation and interfered the Hh signaling transduction in MB cells, suggesting that PDLIM3 promotes the Hh signaling through supporting the ciliogenesis. PDLIM3 protein physically interacts with cholesterol, a critical molecule for cilia formation and hedgehog signaling. The disruption of cilia formation and Hh signaling in PDLIM3 null MB cells or fibroblasts, was significantly rescued by treatment with exogenous cholesterol, demonstrating that PDLIM3 facilitates the ciliogenesis through cholesterol provision. Finally, deletion of PDLIM3 in MB cells significantly inhibited their proliferation and repressed tumor growth, suggesting that PDLIM3 is necessary for MB tumorigenesis. Our studies elucidate the critical functions of PDLIM3 in the ciliogenesis and Hh signaling transduction in SHH-MB cells, supporting to utilize PDLIM3 as a molecular marker for defining SHH group of MB in clinics.

Activation mechanism of the human Smoothened receptor

Smoothened (SMO) is a membrane protein of the class F subfamily of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and maintains homeostasis of cellular differentiation. SMO undergoes conformational change during activation, transmitting the signal across the membrane, making it amenable to bind to its intracellular signaling partner. Receptor activation has been studied at length for class A receptors, but the mechanism of class F receptor activation remains unknown. Agonists and antagonists bound to SMO at sites in the transmembrane domain (TMD) and the cysteine-rich domain have been characterized, giving a static view of the various conformations SMO adopts. Although the structures of the inactive and active SMO outline the residue-level transitions, a kinetic view of the overall activation process remains unexplored for class F receptors. We describe SMO's activation process in atomistic detail by performing 300 μs of molecular dynamics simulations and combining it with Markov state model theory. A molecular switch, conserved across class F and analogous to the activation-mediating D-R-Y motif in class A receptors, is observed to break during activation. We also show that this transition occurs in a stage-wise movement of the transmembrane helices: TM6 first, followed by TM5. To see how modulators affect SMO activity, we simulated agonist and antagonist-bound SMO. We observed that agonist-bound SMO has an expanded hydrophobic tunnel in SMO's core TMD, whereas antagonist-bound SMO shrinks this tunnel, further supporting the hypothesis that cholesterol travels through a tunnel inside Smoothened to activate it. In summary, this study elucidates the distinct activation mechanism of class F GPCRs and shows that SMO's activation process rearranges the core TMD to open a hydrophobic conduit for cholesterol transport.

Neuronal primary cilia integrate peripheral signals with metabolic drives

Neuronal primary cilia have recently emerged as important contributors to the central regulation of energy homeostasis. As non-motile, microtubule-based organelles, primary cilia serve as signaling antennae for metabolic status. The impairment of ciliary structure or function can produce ciliopathies for which obesity is a hallmark phenotype and global ablation of cilia induces non-syndromic adiposity in mouse models. This organelle is not only a hub for metabolic signaling, but also for catecholamine neuromodulation that shapes neuronal circuitry in response to sensory input. The objective of this review is to highlight current research investigating the mechanisms of primary cilium-regulated metabolic drives for maintaining energy homeostasis.

Cholesterol in the ciliary membrane as a therapeutic target against cancer

Primary cilium is a non-motile, antenna-like structure that develops in the quiescent G0 phase-cell surface. It is composed of an array of axonemal microtubules polymerized from the centrosome/basal body. The plasma membrane surrounding the primary cilium, which is called the ciliary membrane, contains a variety of receptors and ion channels, through which the cell receives extracellular chemical and physical stimuli to initiate signal transduction. In general, primary cilia disappear when cells receive the proliferative signals to re-enter the cell cycle. Primary cilia thus cannot be identified in many malignant and proliferative tumors. In contrast, some cancers, including basal cell carcinoma, medulloblastoma, gastrointestinal stromal tumor, and other malignancies, retain their primary cilia. Importantly, it has been reported that the primary cilia-mediated oncogenic signals of Hedgehog, Wnt, and Aurora kinase A are involved in the tumorigenesis and tumor progression of basal cell carcinoma and some types of medulloblastoma. It has also been demonstrated that cholesterol is significantly more enriched in the ciliary membrane than in the rest of the plasma membrane to ensure Sonic hedgehog signaling. A series of epidemiological studies on statin drugs (cholesterol-lowering medication) demonstrated that they prevent recurrence in a wide range of cancers. Taken together, ciliary cholesterol could be a potential therapeutic target in primary cilia-dependent progressive cancers.

GRAMD1/ASTER-mediated cholesterol transport promotes Smoothened cholesterylation at the endoplasmic reticulum

Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway plays a pivotal role in embryonic development. Hh binding to Patched1 (PTCH1) derepresses Smoothened (SMO), thereby activating the downstream signal transduction. Covalent SMO modification by cholesterol in its cysteine-rich domain (CRD) is essential for SMO function. SMO cholesterylation is a calcium-accelerated autoprocessing reaction, and STIM1-ORAI1-mediated store-operated calcium entry promotes cholesterylation and activation of endosome-localized SMO. However, it is unknown whether the Hh-PTCH1 interplay regulates the activity of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-localized SMO. Here, we found that PTCH1 inhibited the COPII-dependent export of SMO from the ER, whereas Hh promoted this process. The RRxWxR amino acid motif in the cytosolic tail of SMO was essential for COPII recognition, ciliary localization, and signal transduction activity. Hh and PTCH1 regulated cholesterol modification of the ER-localized SMO, and SMO cholesterylation accelerated its exit from ER. The GRAMD1/ASTER sterol transport proteins facilitated cholesterol transfer to ER from PM, resulting in increased SMO cholesterylation and enhanced Hh signaling. Collectively, we reveal a regulatory role of GRAMD-mediated cholesterol transport in ER-resident SMO maturation and Hh signaling.

The Cerebellum in Niemann-Pick C1 Disease: Mouse Versus Man

Selective neuronal vulnerability is common to most degenerative disorders, including Niemann-Pick C (NPC), a rare genetic disease with altered intracellular trafficking of cholesterol. Purkinje cell dysfunction and loss are responsible for cerebellar ataxia, which is among the prevailing neurological signs of the NPC disease. In this review, we focus on some questions that are still unresolved. First, we frame the cerebellar vulnerability in the context of the extended postnatal time length by which the development of this structure is completed in mammals. In line with this thought, the much later development of cerebellar symptoms in humans is due to the later development and/or maturation of the cerebellum. Hence, the occurrence of developmental events under a protracted condition of defective intracellular cholesterol mobilization hits the functional maturation of the various cell types generating the ground of increased vulnerability. This is particularly consistent with the high cholesterol demand required for cell proliferation, migration, differentiation, and synapse formation/remodeling. Other major questions we address are why the progression of Purkinje cells loss is always from the anterior to the posterior lobes and why cerebellar defects persist in the mouse model even when genetic manipulations can lead to nearly normal survival.

PTCHD1 Binds Cholesterol but Not Sonic Hedgehog, Suggesting a Distinct Cellular Function

Deleterious mutations in the X-linked Patched domain-containing 1 (PTCHD1) gene may account for up to 1% of autism cases. Despite this, the PTCHD1 protein remains poorly understood. Structural similarities to Patched family proteins point to a role in sterol transport, but this hypothesis has not been verified experimentally. Additionally, PTCHD1 has been suggested to be involved in Hedgehog signalling, but thus far, the experimental results have been conflicting. To enable a variety of biochemical and structural experiments, we developed a method for expressing PTCHD1 in Spodoptera frugiperda cells, solubilising it in glycol-diosgenin, and purifying it to homogeneity. In vitro and in silico experiments show that PTCHD1 function is not interchangeable with Patched 1 (PTCH1) in canonical Hedgehog signalling, since it does not repress Smoothened in Ptch1^-/- mouse embryonic fibroblasts and does not bind Sonic Hedgehog. However, we found that PTCHD1 binds cholesterol similarly to PTCH1. Furthermore, we identified 13 PTCHD1-specific protein interactors through co-immunoprecipitation and demonstrated a link to cell stress responses and RNA stress granule formation. Thus, our results support the notion that despite structural similarities to other Patched family proteins, PTCHD1 may have a distinct cellular function.

Establishing Hedgehog Gradients during Neural Development

A morphogen is a signaling molecule that induces specific cellular responses depending on its local concentration. The concept of morphogenic gradients has been a central paradigm of developmental biology for decades. Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) is one of the most important morphogens that displays pleiotropic functions during embryonic development, ranging from neuronal patterning to axon guidance. It is commonly accepted that Shh is distributed in a gradient in several tissues from different origins during development; however, how these gradients are formed and maintained at the cellular and molecular levels is still the center of a great deal of research. In this review, we first explored all of the different sources of Shh during the development of the nervous system. Then, we detailed how these sources can distribute Shh in the surrounding tissues via a variety of mechanisms. Finally, we addressed how disrupting Shh distribution and gradients can induce severe neurodevelopmental disorders and cancers. Although the concept of gradient has been central in the field of neurodevelopment since the fifties, we also describe how contemporary leading-edge techniques, such as organoids, can revisit this classical model.

Patterns of Ciliation and Ciliary Signaling in Cancer

Among the factors that have been strongly implicated in regulating cancerous transformation, the primary monocilium (cilium) has gained increasing attention. The cilium is a small organelle extending from the plasma membrane, which provides a localized hub for concentration of transmembrane receptors. These receptors transmit signals from soluble factors (including Sonic hedgehog (SHH), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF-AA), WNT, TGFβ, NOTCH, and others) that regulate cell growth, as well as mechanosensory cues provided by flow or extracellular matrix. Ciliation is regulated by cell cycle, with most cells that are in G0 (quiescent) or early G1 ciliation and cilia typically absent in G2/M cells. Notably, while most cells organized in solid tissues are ciliated, cancerous transformation induces significant changes in ciliation. Most cancer cells lose cilia; medulloblastomas and basal cell carcinomas, dependent on an active SHH pathway, rely on ciliary maintenance. Changes in cancer cell ciliation are driven by core oncogenic pathways (EGFR, KRAS, AURKA, PI3K), and importantly ciliation status regulates functionality of those pathways. Ciliation is both influenced by targeted cancer therapies and linked to therapeutic resistance; recent studies suggest ciliation may also influence cancer cell metabolism and stem cell identity. We review recent studies defining the relationship between cilia and cancer.

Hedgehog signaling mechanism and role in cancer

Cell-cell communication through evolutionarily conserved signaling pathways governs embryonic development and adult tissue homeostasis. Deregulation of these signaling pathways has been implicated in a wide range of human diseases including cancer. One such pathway is the Hedgehog (Hh) pathway, which was originally discovered in Drosophila and later found to play a fundamental role in human development and diseases. Abnormal Hh pathway activation is a major driver of basal cell carcinomas (BCC) and medulloblastoma. Hh exerts it biological influence through a largely conserved signal transduction pathway from the activation of the GPCR family transmembrane protein Smoothened (Smo) to the conversion of latent Zn-finger transcription factors Gli/Ci proteins from their repressor (GliR/CiR) to activator (GliA/CiA) forms. Studies from model organisms and human patients have provided deep insight into the Hh signal transduction mechanisms, revealed roles of Hh signaling in a wide range of human cancers, and suggested multiple strategies for targeting this pathway in cancer treatment.

SERINC5-Mediated Restriction of HIV-1 Infectivity Correlates with Resistance to Cholesterol Extraction but Not with Lipid Order of Viral Membrane

Serine incorporator 5 (SER5) is a protein that upon incorporation into virions inhibits HIV-1 infectivity by interfering with the ability of the Env glycoprotein to promote viral fusion. The mechanisms by which SER5 antagonizes HIV-1 fusion are not well understood. A recent study of SER5's structure revealed a lipid-binding pocket, suggesting the ability to sequester lipids. This finding, along with the well-documented modulation of HIV-1 infectivity by viral lipids, especially cholesterol, prompted our examination of SER5's effect on the general lipid order of the HIV-1 membrane. Pseudoviruses bearing the SER5-sensitive HXB2-Env and containing SER5 or SER2, a control protein that lacks antiviral activity, were analyzed using two distinct lipid-order probes. We show that SER5 incorporation does not noticeably affect the lipid order of pseudoviruses. Although viral cholesterol extraction reduces HIV-1 infectivity, SER5+ viruses are less sensitive to cholesterol extraction than the control samples. In contrast, the virus' sensitivity to cholesterol oxidation was not affected by SER5 incorporation. The hydrolytic release of sphingomyelin-sequestered cholesterol had a minimal impact on the apparent resistance to cholesterol extraction. Based on these results, we propose that a subpopulation of more stable Env glycoproteins responsible for the residual infectivity of SER5+ viruses is less sensitive to the cholesterol content of the viral membrane.

The Intimate Connection Between Lipids and Hedgehog Signaling

Hedgehog (HH) signaling is an intercellular communication pathway involved in directing the development and homeostasis of metazoans. HH signaling depends on lipids that covalently modify HH proteins and participate in signal transduction downstream. In many animals, the HH pathway requires the primary cilium, an organelle with a specialized protein and lipid composition. Here, we review the intimate connection between HH signaling and lipids. We highlight how lipids in the primary cilium can create a specialized microenvironment to facilitate signaling, and how HH and components of the HH signal transduction pathway use lipids to communicate between cells.

Patched 1 regulates Smoothened by controlling sterol binding to its extracellular cysteine-rich domain

Smoothened (SMO) transduces the Hedgehog (Hh) signal across the plasma membrane in response to accessible cholesterol. Cholesterol binds SMO at two sites: one in the extracellular cysteine-rich domain (CRD) and a second in the transmembrane domain (TMD). How these two sterol-binding sites mediate SMO activation in response to the ligand Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) remains unknown. We find that mutations in the CRD (but not the TMD) reduce the fold increase in SMO activity triggered by SHH. SHH also promotes the photocrosslinking of a sterol analog to the CRD in intact cells. In contrast, sterol binding to the TMD site boosts SMO activity regardless of SHH exposure. Mutational and computational analyses show that these sites are in allosteric communication despite being 45 angstroms apart. Hence, sterols function as both SHH-regulated orthosteric ligands at the CRD and allosteric ligands at the TMD to regulate SMO activity and Hh signaling.

Ciliary membrane, localised lipid modification and cilia function

Cilium, a tiny microtubule-based cellular appendage critical for cell signalling and physiology, displays a large variety of receptors. The composition and turnover of ciliary lipids and receptors determine cell behaviour. Due to the exclusion of ribosomal machinery and limited membrane area, a cilium needs adaptive logistics to actively reconstitute the lipid and receptor compositions during development and differentiation. How is this dynamicity generated? Here, we examine whether, along with the Intraflagellar-Transport, targeted changes in sector-wise lipid composition could control the receptor localisation and functions in the cilia. We discuss how an interplay between ciliary lipid composition, localised lipid modification, and receptor function could contribute to cilia growth and signalling. We argue that lipid modification at the cell-cilium interface could generate an added thrust for a selective exchange of membrane lipids and the transmembrane and membrane-associated proteins.

Hedgehog signaling

Hedgehog (Hh) proteins constitute one family of a small number of secreted signaling proteins that together regulate multiple aspects of animal development, tissue homeostasis and regeneration. Originally uncovered through genetic analyses in Drosophila, their subsequent discovery in vertebrates has provided a paradigm for the role of morphogens in positional specification. Most strikingly, the Sonic hedgehog protein was shown to mediate the activity of two classic embryonic organizing centers in vertebrates and subsequent studies have implicated it and its paralogs in a myriad of processes. Moreover, dysfunction of the signaling pathway has been shown to underlie numerous human congenital abnormalities and diseases, especially certain types of cancer. This review focusses on the genetic studies that uncovered the key components of the Hh signaling system and the subsequent, biochemical, cell and structural biology analyses of their functions. These studies have revealed several novel processes and principles, shedding new light on the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying cell-cell communication. Notable amongst these are the involvement of cholesterol both in modifying the Hh proteins and in activating its transduction pathway, the role of cytonemes, filipodia-like extensions, in conveying Hh signals between cells; and the central importance of the Primary Cilium as a cellular compartment within which the components of the signaling pathway are sequestered and interact.

CNPY4 inhibits the Hedgehog pathway by modulating membrane sterol lipids

The Hedgehog (HH) pathway is critical for development and adult tissue homeostasis. Aberrant HH signaling can lead to congenital malformations and diseases including cancer. Although cholesterol and several oxysterol lipids have been shown to play crucial roles in HH activation, the molecular mechanisms governing their regulation remain unresolved. Here, we identify Canopy4 (CNPY4), a Saposin-like protein, as a regulator of the HH pathway that modulates levels of membrane sterol lipids. Cnpy4-/- embryos exhibit multiple defects consistent with HH signaling perturbations, most notably changes in digit number. Knockdown of Cnpy4 hyperactivates the HH pathway in vitro and elevates membrane levels of accessible sterol lipids, such as cholesterol, an endogenous ligand involved in HH activation. Our data demonstrate that CNPY4 is a negative regulator that fine-tunes HH signal transduction, revealing a previously undescribed facet of HH pathway regulation that operates through control of membrane composition.

Sonic Hedgehog Signaling in Cerebellar Development and Cancer

The sonic hedgehog (SHH) pathway regulates the development of the central nervous system in vertebrates. Aberrant regulation of SHH signaling pathways often causes neurodevelopmental diseases and brain tumors. In the cerebellum, SHH secreted by Purkinje cells is a potent mitogen for granule cell progenitors, which are the most abundant cell type in the mature brain. While a reduction in SHH signaling induces cerebellar structural abnormalities, such as hypoplasia in various genetic disorders, the constitutive activation of SHH signaling often induces medulloblastoma (MB), one of the most common pediatric malignant brain tumors. Based on the existing literature on canonical and non-canonical SHH signaling pathways, emerging basic and clinical studies are exploring novel therapeutic approaches for MB by targeting SHH signaling at distinct molecular levels. In this review, we discuss the present consensus on SHH signaling mechanisms, their roles in cerebellar development and tumorigenesis, and the recent advances in clinical trials for MB.

Hedgehog signaling and its molecular perspective with cholesterol: a comprehensive review

Hedgehog (Hh) signaling is evolutionarily conserved and plays an instructional role in embryonic morphogenesis, organogenesis in various animals, and the central nervous system organization. Multiple feedback mechanisms dynamically regulate this pathway in a spatiotemporal and context-dependent manner to confer differential patterns in cell fate determination. Hh signaling is complex due to canonical and non-canonical mechanisms coordinating cell-cell communication. In addition, studies have demonstrated a regulatory framework of Hh signaling and shown that cholesterol is vital for Hh ligand biogenesis, signal generation, and transduction from the cell surface to intracellular space. Studies have shown the importance of a specific cholesterol pool, termed accessible cholesterol, which serves as a second messenger, conveying signals between smoothened (Smo) and patched 1 (Ptch1) across the plasma and ciliary membranes. Remarkably, recent high-resolution structural and molecular studies shed new light on the interplay between Hh signaling and cholesterol in membrane biology. These studies elucidated novel mechanistic insight into the release and dispersal of cholesterol-anchored Hh and the basis of Hh recognition by Ptch1. Additionally, the putative model of Smo activation by cholesterol binding and/or modification and Ptch1 antagonization of Smo has been explicated. However, the coupling mechanism of Hh signaling and cholesterol offered a new regulatory principle in cell biology: how effector molecules of the Hh signal network react to and remodel cholesterol accessibility in the membrane and selectively activate Hh signaling proteins thereof. Recognizing the biological importance of cholesterol in Hh signaling activation and transduction opens the door for translational research to develop novel therapeutic strategies. This review looks in-depth at canonical and non-canonical Hh signaling and the distinct proposed model of cholesterol-mediated regulation of Hh signaling components, facilitating a more sophisticated understanding of the Hh signal network and cholesterol biology.

Cholesterol and Hedgehog Signaling: Mutual Regulation and Beyond

The Hedgehog (HH) signaling is one of the key agents that govern the precisely regulated developmental processes of multicellular organisms in vertebrates and invertebrates. The HH pathway in the receiving cell includes Patched1, a twelve-pass transmembrane receptor, and Smoothened, a seven-transmembrane G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR), and the downstream GLI family of three transcriptional factors (GLI1-GLI3). Mutations of HH gene and the main components in HH signaling are also associated with numerous types of diseases. Before secretion, the HH protein undergoes post-translational cholesterol modification to gain full activity, and cholesterol is believed to be essential for proper HH signaling transduction. In addition, results from recent studies show the reciprocal effect that HH signaling functions in cholesterol metabolism as well as in cholesterol homeostasis, which provides feedback to HH pathway. Here, we hope to provide new insights into HH signaling function by discussing the role of cholesterol in HH protein maturation, secretion and HH signaling transduction, and the potential role of HH in regulation of cholesterol as well.

TMED2 binding restricts SMO to the ER and Golgi compartments

Hedgehog (HH) signaling is important for embryonic pattering and stem cell differentiation. The G protein–coupled receptor (GPCR) Smoothened (SMO) is the key HH signal transducer modulating both transcription-dependent and transcription-independent responses. We show that SMO protects naive mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) from dissociation-induced cell death. We exploited this SMO dependency to perform a genetic screen in haploid ESCs where we identify the Golgi proteins TMED2 and TMED10 as factors for SMO regulation. Super-resolution microscopy shows that SMO is normally retained in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and Golgi compartments, and we demonstrate that TMED2 binds to SMO, preventing localization to the plasma membrane. Mutation of TMED2 allows SMO accumulation at the plasma membrane, recapitulating early events after HH stimulation. We demonstrate the physiologic relevance of this interaction in neural differentiation, where TMED2 functions to repress HH signal strength. Identification of TMED2 as a binder and upstream regulator of SMO opens the way for unraveling the events in the ER–Golgi leading to HH signaling activation.

Hedgehog signals orchestrate tissue patterning by binding the receptor Patched and restricting the signal transducer Smoothened. A genetic screen reveals Tmed2 as a new interactor of Smoothened that is required for regulating Smoothened transport from the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi to the plasma membrane and hence modulating the strength of Hedgehog signal transduction.

Hedgehog signalling in bone and osteoarthritis: the role of Smoothened and cholesterol

Hedgehog signalling is essential for development, crucial for normal anatomical arrangement and activated during tissue damage repair. Dysregulation of hedgehog signalling is associated with cancer, developmental disorders and other diseases including osteoarthritis (OA). The hedgehog gene was first discovered in Drosophila melanogaster, and the pathway is evolutionarily conserved in most animals. Although there are several hedgehog ligands with different protein expression patterns, they share a common plasma membrane receptor, Patched1 and hedgehog signalling pathway activation is transduced through the G-protein-coupled receptor-like protein Smoothened (SMO) and downstream effectors. Functional assays revealed that activation of SMO is dependent on sterol binding, and cholesterol was observed bound to SMO in crystallography experiments. In vertebrates, hedgehog signalling coordinates endochondral ossification and balances osteoblast and osteoclast activation to maintain homeostasis. A recently discovered mutation of SMO in humans (SMO^R173C ) is predicted to alter cholesterol binding and is associated with a higher risk of hip OA. Functional studies in mice and human tissue analysis provide evidence that hedgehog signalling is pathologically activated in chondrocytes of osteoarthritic cartilage.

Cholesterol inhibits TCR signaling by directly restricting TCR-CD3 core tunnel motility

Cholesterol molecules specifically bind to the resting αβTCR to inhibit cytoplasmic CD3ζ ITAM phosphorylation through sequestering the TCR-CD3 complex in an inactive conformation. The mechanisms of cholesterol-mediated inhibition of TCR-CD3 and its activation remain unclear. Here, we present cryoelectron microscopy structures of cholesterol- and cholesterol sulfate (CS)-inhibited TCR-CD3 complexes and an auto-active TCR-CD3 variant. The structures reveal that cholesterol molecules act like a latch to lock CD3ζ into an inactive conformation in the membrane. Mutations impairing binding of cholesterol molecules to the tunnel result in the movement of the proximal C terminus of the CD3ζ transmembrane helix, thereby activating the TCR-CD3 complex in human cells. Together, our data reveal the structural basis of TCR inhibition by cholesterol, illustrate how the cholesterol-binding tunnel is allosterically coupled to TCR triggering, and lay a foundation for the development of immunotherapies through directly targeting the TCR-CD3 complex.

Cholesterylation of Smoothened is a calcium-accelerated autoreaction involving an intramolecular ester intermediate

Hedgehog (Hh) is a morphogen that binds to its receptor Patched 1 and activates Smoothened (SMO), thereby governing embryonic development and postnatal tissue homeostasis. Cholesterol can bind and covalently conjugate to the luminal cysteine-rich domain (CRD) of human SMO at the D95 residue (D99 in mouse). The reaction mechanism and biological function of SMO cholesterylation have not been elucidated. Here, we show that the SMO-CRD undergoes auto-cholesterylation which is boosted by calcium and involves an intramolecular ester intermediate. In cells, Hh stimulation elevates local calcium concentration in the SMO-localized endosomes through store-operated calcium entry. In addition, we identify the signaling-incompetent SMO D95E mutation, and the D95E mutant SMO can bind cholesterol but cannot be modified or activated by cholesterol. The homozygous Smo^D99E/D99E knockin mice are embryonic lethal with severe developmental delay, demonstrating that cholesterylation of CRD is required for full-length SMO activation. Our work reveals the unique autocatalytic mechanism of SMO cholesterylation and an unprecedented role of calcium in Hh signaling.

Regulation of Cholesterol Binding to the Receptor Patched1 by its interactions With the Ligand Sonic Hedgehog (Shh)

The Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway is essential in cell development and regeneration, which is activated by the ligand Sonic hedgehog (Shh). The binding of Shh to its receptor Patched1 (PTCH1) releases the inhibitory effect on the downstream protein Smoothened (SMO), a G-protein-coupled-receptor (GPCR) protein. Cholesterol was supposed to function as a secondary messenger between PTCH1 and SMO. However, the molecular mechanism of this regulation process is still unclear. Therefore, microsecond coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations were performed to investigate the protein-lipid interactions of the PTCH1 monomer and dimer-Shh complex. It was observed that the binding of cholesterols to the monomer is more stable than that to the dimer-Shh complex. It is regulated by the enrichment of Ganglioside lipids around proteins and the conformation of Y446, a residue in the sterol-sensing domain (SSD). The regulation of Shh on the dynamics of PTCH1 was further analyzed to explore the allosteric communication pathways between the Shh and the SSD. Our study provides structural and dynamic details of an additional perspective on the regulation of Hh signaling pathway through the lipid micro-environments of PTCH1.

Sterol regulation of developmental and oncogenic Hedgehog signaling

The Hedgehog (Hh) family of lipid-modified signaling proteins directs embryonic tissue patterning and postembryonic tissue homeostasis, and dysregulated Hh signaling drives familial and sporadic cancers. Hh ligands bind to and inhibit the tumor suppressor Patched and allow the oncoprotein Smoothened (SMO) to accumulate in cilia, which in turn activates the GLI family of transcription factors. Recent work has demonstrated that endogenous cholesterol and oxidized cholesterol derivatives (oxysterols) bind and modulate SMO activity. Here we discuss the myriad sterols that activate or inhibit the Hh pathway, with emphasis on endogenous 24(S),25-epoxycholesterol and 3β,5α-dihydroxycholest-7-en-6-one, and propose models of sterol regulation of SMO. Synthetic inhibitors of SMO have long been the focus of drug development efforts. Here, we discuss the possible utility of steroidal SMO ligands or inhibitors of enzymes involved in sterol metabolism as cancer therapeutics.