Skinny Hedgehog, an Acyltransferase Required for Palmitoylation and Activity of the Hedgehog Signal
- 14 September 2001
- journal article
- other
- Published by American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Science
- Vol. 293 (5537), 2080-2084
- https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1064437
Abstract
One of the most dominant influences in the patterning of multicellular embryos is exerted by the Hedgehog (Hh) family of secreted signaling proteins. Here, we identify a segment polarity gene in Drosophila melanogaster , skinny hedgehog ( ski ), and show that its product is required in Hh-expressing cells for production of appropriate signaling activity in embryos and in the imaginal precursors of adult tissues. The ski gene encodes an apparent acyltransferase, and we provide genetic and biochemical evidence that Hh proteins from ski mutant cells retain carboxyl-terminal cholesterol modification but lack amino-terminal palmitate modification. Our results suggest that ski encodes an enzyme that acts within the secretory pathway to catalyze amino-terminal palmitoylation of Hh, and further demonstrate that this lipid modification is required for the embryonic and larval patterning activities of the Hh signal.Keywords
This publication has 21 references indexed in Scilit:
- SAP – a putative DNA-binding motif involved in chromosomal organizationTrends in Biochemical Sciences, 2000
- Problems and paradigms: Morphogens and pattern formationBioEssays, 1997
- The segment polarity gene porcupine encodes a putative multitransmembrane protein involved in Wingless processing.Genes & Development, 1996
- Cholesterol Modification of Hedgehog Signaling Proteins in Animal DevelopmentScience, 1996
- Hedgehog Patterning Activity: Role of a Lipophilic Modification Mediated by the Carboxy-Terminal Autoprocessing DomainCell, 1996
- The product of hedgehog autoproteolytic cleavage active in local and long-range signallingNature, 1995
- Autoproteolysis in hedgehog protein biogenesisScience, 1994
- Compartment boundaries and the control of Drosopfiffa limb pattern by hedgehog proteinNature, 1994
- Hedgehog is a signaling protein with a key role in patterning Drosophila imaginal discsCell, 1994
- Mutations affecting segment number and polarity in DrosophilaNature, 1980