The Open Cell Signaling Journal

2011, 3 : 9-19
Published online 2011 April 14. DOI: 10.2174/1876390101103010009
Publisher ID: TOCELLSJ-3-9

RESEARCH ARTICLE
 A Prickly Subject: Apoptotic Regulation by Hedgehog Morphogens

Mark Ditzel, *
Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, Edinburgh CRUK Research Centre, Cancer Biology, Crewe Road South, Edinburgh EH4 2XR, UK

* Address correspondence to this author at the Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, Edinburgh CRUK Research Centre, Cancer Biology, Crewe Road South, Edinburgh EH4 2XR, UK; Tel: +44 (0)131 777 3555; E-mail: mditzel@ed.ac.uk

ABSTRACT

Morphogens, as intercellular signalling proteins, provide a non-cell-autonomous mechanism to impart positional information to cells and govern essential cellular processes such as apoptosis. Individual morphogen pathways utilise diverse strategies to regulate the assembly and activity of the pro-apoptotic multi-protein complexes – namely the apoptosome and the death-inducing signalling complex (DISC). This review aims to highlight the apoptotic regulatory mechanisms utilised by the Hedgehog (HH) morphogen pathway – with particular emphasis on a novel Caspase-9 activating complex and the utilisation of a pro-apoptotic autocrine-signalling loop.

Keywords:

Hedgehog, apoptosis, BMP, dependesome, patched, smoothened, morphogen.