Johnson R L, Scott M P
Department of Developmental Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, California 94305-5329, USA.
Curr Opin Genet Dev. 1998 Aug;8(4):450-6. doi: 10.1016/s0959-437x(98)80117-2.
Members of the Hedgehog (Hh) family of signaling proteins control cell fates and proliferation during animal development in part by regulating the transcription of specific genes. Depending on the tissue, Hh can act over long or short distances, to signal directly or by inducing secondary signals. Recent discoveries include new components of the pathway as well as novel regulatory mechanisms involving cholesterol, proteolysis, and the cytoskeleton. The role of Hh in carcinogenesis is underscored by the identification of mutations in several pathway components in skin and brain tumors.
刺猬信号蛋白家族（Hh）的成员在动物发育过程中，部分通过调节特定基因的转录来控制细胞命运和增殖。根据组织的不同，Hh可以在长距离或短距离内起作用，直接发出信号或通过诱导次级信号来发挥作用。最近的发现包括该信号通路的新组分以及涉及胆固醇、蛋白水解和细胞骨架的新型调控机制。皮肤和脑肿瘤中几种信号通路组分的突变鉴定，突出了Hh在致癌作用中的作用。
