Patched represses the Hedgehog signalling pathway by promoting modification of the Smoothened protein

Hedgehog (Hh) signalling plays a central role in many developmental processes in both vertebrates and invertebrates [1]. The multipass membrane-spanning proteins Patched (Ptc) [2-4] and Smoothened (Smo) [5-7] have been proposed to act as subunits of a putative Hh receptor complex. According to this view, Smo functions as the transducing subunit, the activity of which is blocked by a direct interaction with the ligand-binding subunit, Ptc [8]. Activation of the intracellular signalling pathway occurs when Hh binds to Ptc [8-11], an event assumed to release Smo from Ptc-mediated inhibition. Evidence for a physical interaction between Smo and Ptc is so far limited to studies of the vertebrate versions of these proteins when overexpressed in tissue culture systems [8,12]. To test this model, we have overexpressed the Drosophila Smo protein in vivo and found that increasing the levels of Smo protein per se was not sufficient for activation of the pathway. Immunohistochemical staining of wild-type and transgenic embryos revealed distinct patterns of Smo distribution, depending on which region of the protein was detected by the antibody. Our findings suggest that Smo is modified to yield a non-functional form and this modification is promoted by Ptc in a non-stoichiometric manner.     

Transducing the Hedgehog Signal Across the Plasma Membrane

Cell signaling mediated by the Hedgehog (Hh) family of secreted proteins is essential for metazoan development and its malfunction causes congenital disorders and cancer. The seven-transmembrane protein Smoothened (Smo) transduces the Hh signal across the plasma membrane in both vertebrates and invertebrates but the underlying mechanisms remain ill defined. In Drosophila, Hh induces phosphorylation of Smo at multiple sites by PKA and CK1, leading to its cell surface accumulation and activation. Recently, we have obtained evidence that Hh-induced phosphorylation promotes Smo activity by inducing a conformational switch and dimerization of its carboxy-terminal cytoplasmic tail (C-tail). Furthermore, we provided evidence that a similar mechanism regulates mammalian Smo. We discuss how Smo conformational change regulates the intracellular signaling complex and how Smo transduces the graded Hh signaling activities through different conformational states.     

Transducing the Hedgehog signal across the plasma membrane

Cell signaling mediated by the Hedgehog (Hh) family of secreted proteins is essential for metazoan development and its malfunction causes congenital disorders and cancer. The seven-transmembrane protein Smoothened (Smo) transduces the Hh signal across the plasma membrane in both vertebrates and invertebrates but the underlying mechanisms remain ill defined. In Drosophila, Hh induces phosphorylation of Smo at multiple sites by PKA and CK1, leading to its cell surface accumulation and activation. Recently, we have obtained evidence that Hh-induced phosphorylation promotes Smo activity by inducing a conformational switch and dimerization of its carboxy-terminal cytoplasmic tail (C-tail). Furthermore, we provided evidence that a similar mechanism regulates mammalian Smo. We discuss how Smo conformational change regulates the intracellular signaling complex and how Smo transduces the graded Hh signaling activities through different conformational states.     

Human receptors patched and smoothened partially transduce hedgehog signal when expressed in Drosophila cells

In humans, dysfunctions of the Hedgehog receptors Patched and Smoothened are responsible for numerous pathologies. However, signaling mechanisms involving these receptors are less well characterized in mammals than in Drosophila. To obtain structure-function relationship information on human Patched and Smoothened, we expressed these human receptors in Drosophila Schneider 2 cells. We show here that, as its Drosophila counterpart, human Patched is able to repress the signaling pathway in the absence of Hedgehog ligand. In response to Hedgehog, human Patched is able to release Drosophila Smoothened inhibition, suggesting that human Patched is expressed in a functional state in Drosophila cells. We also provide experiments showing that human Smo, when expressed in Schneider cells, is able to bind the alkaloid cyclopamine, suggesting that it is expressed in a native conformational state. Furthermore, contrary to Drosophila Smoothened, human Smoothened does not interact with the kinesin Costal 2 and thus is unable to transduce the Hedgehog signal. Moreover, cell surface fluorescent labeling suggest that human Smoothened is enriched at the Schneider 2 plasma membrane in response to Hedgehog. These results suggest that human Smoothened is expressed in a functional state in Drosophila cells, where it undergoes a regulation of its localization comparable with its Drosophila homologue. Thus, we propose that the upstream part of the Hedgehog pathway involving Hedgehog interaction with Patched, regulation of Smoothened by Patched, and Smoothened enrichment at the plasma membrane is highly conserved between Drosophila and humans; in contrast, signaling downstream of Smoothened is different.     

Hedgehog信号通路与脂肪形成

Hedgehog(Hh)信号通路是从果蝇到人类都非常保守的信号通路,在脊椎动物和非脊椎动物胚胎期多种组织器官的发育中发挥着重要作用。Hh信号通路的异常会导致疾病(先天性缺陷和癌症)的发生。近年的研究发现,Hh信号通路在脂肪生长发育中发挥重要作用,激活Hh信号通路能特异性地抑制白色脂肪组织细胞的分化,而对棕色脂肪组织细胞分化没有作用。该文综述了Hh信号通路在脂肪细胞分化中的作用及其分子机制,并对今后的研究和应用作了展望。     

Tow (Target of Wingless), a novel repressor of the Hedgehog pathway in Drosophila

Hedgehog (Hh) signalling plays a crucial role in the development and patterning of many tissues in both vertebrates and invertebrates. Aberrations in this pathway lead to severe developmental defects and cancer. Hh signal transduction in receiving cells is a well studied phenomenon; however questions still remain concerning the mechanism of repression of the pathway activator Smoothened (Smo) in the absence of Hh. Here we describe a novel repressor of the Hh pathway, Target of Wingless (Tow). Tow represents the Drosophila homolog of a conserved uncharacterised protein family. We show that Tow acts in Hh receiving cells, where its overexpression represses all levels of Hh signalling, and that this repression occurs upstream or at the level of Smo and downstream of the Hh receptor Patched (Ptc). In addition, we find that like Ptc, overexpression of Tow causes an accumulation of lipophorin in the wing disc. We demonstrate that loss of tow enhances different ptc alleles in a similar manner to another pathway repressor, Suppressor of Fused (SuFu), possibly through mediating Ptc dependant lipophorin internalisation. Combined, these results demonstrate that Tow is an important novel regulator of the Hh pathway in the wing imaginal disc, and may shed light on the mechanism of Ptc repression of Smo.     

Sonic Hedgehog dependent phosphorylation by CK1α and GRK2 is required for ciliary accumulation and activation of smoothened

Hedgehog (Hh) signaling regulates embryonic development and adult tissue homeostasis through the GPCR-like protein Smoothened (Smo), but how vertebrate Smo is activated remains poorly understood. In Drosophila, Hh dependent phosphorylation activates Smo. Whether this is also the case in vertebrates is unclear, owing to the marked sequence divergence between vertebrate and Drosophila Smo (dSmo) and the involvement of primary cilia in vertebrate Hh signaling. Here we demonstrate that mammalian Smo (mSmo) is activated through multi-site phosphorylation of its carboxyl-terminal tail by CK1α and GRK2. Phosphorylation of mSmo induces its active conformation and simultaneously promotes its ciliary accumulation. We demonstrate that graded Hh signals induce increasing levels of mSmo phosphorylation that fine-tune its ciliary localization, conformation, and activity. We show that mSmo phosphorylation is induced by its agonists and oncogenic mutations but is blocked by its antagonist cyclopamine, and efficient mSmo phosphorylation depends on the kinesin-II ciliary motor. Furthermore, we provide evidence that Hh signaling recruits CK1α to initiate mSmo phosphorylation, and phosphorylation further increases the binding of CK1α and GRK2 to mSmo, forming a positive feedback loop that amplifies and/or sustains mSmo phosphorylation. Hence, despite divergence in their primary sequences and their subcellular trafficking, mSmo and dSmo employ analogous mechanisms for their activation.     

Smoothened mutants reveal redundant roles for Shh and Ihh signaling including regulation of L/R symmetry by the mouse node

Genetic analyses in Drosophila have demonstrated that the multipass membrane protein Smoothened (Smo) is essential for all Hedgehog signaling. We show that Smo acts epistatic to Ptc1 to mediate Shh and Ihh signaling in the early mouse embryo. Smo and Shh/Ihh compound mutants have identical phenotypes: embryos fail to turn, arresting at somite stages with a small, linear heart tube, an open gut and cyclopia. The absence of visible left/right (L/R) asymmetry led us to examine the pathways controlling L/R situs. We present evidence consistent with a model in which Hedgehog signaling within the node is required for activation of Gdf1, and induction of left-side determinants. Further, we demonstrate an absolute requirement for Hedgehog signaling in sclerotomal development and a role in cardiac morphogenesis.     

Regulation of Smoothened by Drosophila G-protein-coupled receptor kinases

The Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway plays a conserved and essential role in regulating development and homeostasis of numerous tissues. Cytoplasmic signaling is initiated by Smoothened (Smo), a G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) family member, whose levels and activity are regulated by the Hh receptor Patched (Ptc). In response to Hh binding to Ptc, Ptc-mediated repression of Smo is relieved, leading to Smo activation, surface accumulation, and downstream signaling. We find that downregulation of Drosophila Smo protein in Hh-responding imaginal disc cells is dependent on the activity of G-protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (Gprk2). By analyzing gain- and null loss-of-function phenotypes, we provide evidence that Gprk2 promotes Smo internalization subsequent to its activation, most likely by direct phosphorylation. Ptc-dependent regulation of Smo accumulation is normal in gprk2 mutants, indicating that Gprk2 and Ptc downregulate Smo by different mechanisms. Finally, we show that both Drosophila G-protein-coupled receptor kinase orthologues, Gprk1 and Gprk2, act in a partially redundant manner to promote Hh signaling. Our results suggest that Smo is regulated by distinct Ptc-dependent and Gprk2-dependent trafficking mechanisms in vivo, analogous to constitutive and activity-dependent regulation of GPCRs. G-protein-coupled receptor kinase activity is also important for efficient downstream signaling.     

Identification of osteogenic purmorphamine derivatives

During embryonic and cancer development, the Hedgehog family of proteins, including Sonic Hedgehog, play an important role by relieving the inhibition of Smo by Ptc, thus activating the Smo signaling cascade. Recently, a purine compound, purmorphamine, has been reported to target the Hedgehog signaling pathway by interacting with Smo. Interestingly, both Sonic Hedgehog and purmorphamine were found to promote the osteogenic differentiation of mouse chondroprogenitor cells. However, there is insufficient information as to how the activation of this seemingly unrelated signaling pathway, either by Sonic Hedgehog or purmorphamine, contributes to osteogenesis. Using alkaline phosphatase assays, we screened 125 purmorphamine derivatives from the Korea Chemical Bank for effects on the differentiation of preosteoblast C2C12 cells. Here, we report that two purine derivatives modulate ALP activity as well as the expression of genes whose expression is known or suggested to be involved in osteogenesis.     

Identification of a series of 4-[3-(quinolin-2-yl)-1,2,4-oxadiazol-5-yl]piperazinyl ureas as potent smoothened antagonist hedgehog pathway inhibitors

The Hedgehog (Hh-) signalling pathway is a key developmental pathway and there is a growing body of evidence showing that this pathway is aberrantly reactivated in a number of human tumors. Novel agents capable of inhibiting this pathway are sought, and an entirely novel series of smoothened (Smo) antagonists capable of inhibiting the pathway have been identified through uHTS screening. Extensive exploration of the scaffold identified the key functionalities necessary for potency, enabling potent nanomolar Smo antagonists like 91 and 94 to be developed. Optimization resulted in the most advanced compounds displaying low serum shift, clean off-targets profile, and moderate clearance in both rats and dogs. These compounds are valuable tools with which to probe the biology of the Hh-pathway.     

Smoothened mutants reveal redundant roles for Shh and Ihh signaling including regulation of L/R asymmetry by the mouse node.

Genetic analyses in Drosophila have demonstrated that the multipass membrane protein Smoothened (Smo) is essential for all Hedgehog signaling. We show that Smo acts epistatic to Ptc1 to mediate Shh and Ihh signaling in the early mouse embryo. Smo and Shh/Ihh compound mutants have identical phenotypes: embryos fail to turn, arresting at somite stages with a small, linear heart tube, an open gut and cyclopia. The absence of visible left/right (L/R) asymmetry led us to examine the pathways controlling L/R situs. We present evidence consistent with a model in which Hedgehog signaling within the node is required for activation of Gdf1, and induction of left-side determinants. Further, we demonstrate an absolute requirement for Hedgehog signaling in sclerotomal development and a role in cardiac morphogenesis.[Dedicated to Rosa Beddington, a pioneer in mammalian embryology].     

The extracellular loops of Smoothened play a regulatory role in control of Hedgehog pathway activation

The Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway plays an instructional role during development, and is frequently activated in cancer. Ligand-induced pathway activation requires signaling by the transmembrane protein Smoothened (Smo), a member of the G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) superfamily. The extracellular (EC) loops of canonical GPCRs harbor cysteine residues that engage in disulfide bonds, affecting active and inactive signaling states through regulating receptor conformation, dimerization and/or ligand binding. Although a functional importance for cysteines localized to the N-terminal extracellular cysteine-rich domain has been described, a functional role for a set of conserved cysteines in the EC loops of Smo has not yet been established. In this study, we mutated each of the conserved EC cysteines, and tested for effects on Hh signal transduction. Cysteine mutagenesis reveals that previously uncharacterized functional roles exist for Smo EC1 and EC2. We provide in vitro and in vivo evidence that EC1 cysteine mutation induces significant Hh-independent Smo signaling, triggering a level of pathway activation similar to that of a maximal Hh response in Drosophila and mammalian systems. Furthermore, we show that a single amino acid change in EC2 attenuates Hh-induced Smo signaling, whereas deletion of the central region of EC2 renders Smo fully active, suggesting that the conformation of EC2 is crucial for regulated Smo activity. Taken together, these findings are consistent with loop cysteines engaging in disulfide bonds that facilitate a Smo conformation that is silent in the absence of Hh, but can transition to a fully active state in response to ligand.     

Patching the gaps in Hedgehog signalling

The Hedgehog (Hh) pathway plays central roles in animal development and stem-cell function. Defects in Hh signalling lead to birth defects and cancer in humans. The first and often genetically damaged step in this pathway is the interaction between two membrane proteins - Patched (Ptc), encoded by a tumour suppressor gene, and Smoothened (Smo), encoded by a proto-oncogene. Recent work linking Hh signalling to sterol metabolites and protein-trafficking events at the primary cilium promises to shed light on the biochemical basis of how Patched inhibits Smoothened, and to provide new avenues for cancer treatment.