Sonic Hedgehog

The hedgehog (hh) gene encoding a secreted protein was originally identified in Drosophila as a segment polarity gene. Three vertebrate homologs of hh have been identified including Sonic hedgehog (Shh), Indian hedgehog (Ihh), and Desert hedgehog (Dhh). These proteins are important signaling molecules during embryonic development. Shh is expressed in key embryonic tissues such as the HensenÆs node, the zone of polarizing activity in the posterior limb bud, the notochord, and the floor plate of the neural tube.

Image: Detection of Sonic Hedge Hog (Shh N-terminal peptide) in cryostat tissue sections of rat cerebellum (dilution10 µg/mL). Tissues were using anti-goat HRP-DAB Cell (brown) and counterstained with hematoxylin (blue).