Structural highlights
Function
[SHH_MOUSE] Binds to the patched (PTC) receptor, which functions in association with smoothened (SMO), to activate the transcription of target genes. In the absence of SHH, PTC represses the constitutive signaling activity of SMO. Also regulates another target, the gli oncogene. Intercellular signal essential for a variety of patterning events during development: signal produced by the notochord that induces ventral cell fate in the neural tube and somites, and the polarizing signal for patterning of the anterior-posterior axis of the developing limb bud. Displays both floor plate- and motor neuron-inducing activity. The threshold concentration of N-product required for motor neuron induction is 5-fold lower than that required for floor plate induction (By similarity).[1]
Evolutionary Conservation
Check, as determined by ConSurfDB. You may read the explanation of the method and the full data available from ConSurf.
Publication Abstract from PubMed
Within the past few years, members of the hedgehog (hh) family of secreted signalling proteins have emerged as the primary signals generated by certain embryonic patterning centres. In vertebrate embryos, for example, sonic hedgehog expression in the notochord appears to be responsible for the local and long-range induction of ventral cell types within the neural tube and somites (reviewed in refs 1, 2). Protein products encoded by hh family members are synthesized as precursors that undergo autoprocessing to generate an amino-terminal domain that appears to be responsible for both local and long-range signalling activities, and a carboxy-terminal domain that contains the autoprocessing activity. As part of an effort to understand how hh family members participate in cell-to-cell signalling, we have determined and report here the crystal structure at 1.7 A of the amino-terminal domain of murine Sonic hedgehog (Shh-N). The structure revealed a tetrahedrally coordinated zinc ion that appears to be structurally analogous to the zinc coordination sites of zinc hydrolases, such as thermolysin and carboxypeptidase A. This previously unsuspected catalytic site represents a distinct activity from the autoprocessing activity that resides in the carboxy-terminal domain.
A potential catalytic site revealed by the 1.7-A crystal structure of the amino-terminal signalling domain of Sonic hedgehog.,Hall TM, Porter JA, Beachy PA, Leahy DJ Nature. 1995 Nov 9;378(6553):212-6. PMID:7477329[2]
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
References
- ↑ Roelink H, Porter JA, Chiang C, Tanabe Y, Chang DT, Beachy PA, Jessell TM. Floor plate and motor neuron induction by different concentrations of the amino-terminal cleavage product of sonic hedgehog autoproteolysis. Cell. 1995 May 5;81(3):445-55. PMID:7736596
- ↑ Hall TM, Porter JA, Beachy PA, Leahy DJ. A potential catalytic site revealed by the 1.7-A crystal structure of the amino-terminal signalling domain of Sonic hedgehog. Nature. 1995 Nov 9;378(6553):212-6. PMID:7477329 doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/378212a0
