A general role of hedgehog in the regulation of proliferation

Michalis Agathocleous, Morgane Locker, William A. Harris, Muriel Perron

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

67 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Hedgehog (Hh) pathway regulates proliferation in a variety of tissues, however its specific effects on the cell cycle are unclear. During retinal proliferation in particular, the role of Hh has been controversial, with studies variably suggesting a stimulatory or an inhibitory effect on proliferation. Our recent data provide an underlying mechanism, which reconciles these different views. We showed that Hh signaling in the retina accelerates the G1 and G2 phases of the cell cycle and then pushes these rapidly dividing cells out of the cell cycle prematurely. From this and other evidence, we propose that Hh converts quiescent retinal stem cells into fast-cycling transient amplifying progenitors that are closer to cell cycle exit and differentiation. This is, we suggest, likely to be a general role of Hh in the nervous system and other tissues. This function of Hh in cell cycle kinetics and cell cycle exit may have implications for tumorigenesis and brain evolution.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)156-159
Number of pages4
JournalCell Cycle
Volume6
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 15 2007

Keywords

  • Cancer stem cells
  • Cell cycle
  • Hedgehog signaling
  • Neural stem cells
  • Retina
  • Transient amplifying progenitors

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Molecular Biology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Cell Biology

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