Type:Protein
SpeciesReactivity:M
B=Bovine;Ca=Cat;Ch=Chicken;D=Dog;EQ=Equine;GP=GuineaPig;H=Human;M=Mouse;P=Porcine;Pr=Primate;R=Rat;Rb=Rabbit;Y=Yeast;Xe=Xenopus;Ze=Zebrafish;;;;NA-NotApplicable;STP=Step-TactinProteins;AllThehedgehog(hh)geneencodingasecretedproteinwasoriginallyidentifiedinDrosophilaasasegmentpolaritygene.ThevertebratehomologuesofHhcompriseseveralproteinsincludingsonichedgehog(Shh),Indianhedgehog(Ihh),andDeserthedgehog(Dhh)(1).Hedgehogproteinsareimportantsignalingmoleculesduringembryonicdevelopmentandarehighlyconservedwithinandacrossspecies(1).MouseandhumanIhhshare100%aminoacididentityinthesignalingdomain,whilemouseIhhandShhshare90%aminoacididentityintheNterminalsignalingdomain.IhhmRNAexpressionisdetectedinfetallung,gut,stomach,liver,kidney,pancreasandstronglyincartilageingrowthregionsofthedevelopingbone(2,3).Ihh,alongwithparathyroidhormonerelatedprotein,regulatetherateofchondrocyteproliferationanddifferentiation(4).Ihhisalsoinvolvedinyolksacvasculogenesis,playinganimportantroleindifferentiationofepIBLastcellsintoendothelialandredbloodcells(5).
