HEDGEHOG SIGNALING IN DROSOPHILA AND VERTEBRATE DEVELOPMENT

The hedgehog (hh) gene Family encode secreted proteins that are involv ed in a number of developmental processes in vertebrates and invertebr ates. These include the patterning of the vertebrate neural tube, somi tes, limb and brain and the Drosophila embryonic epidermis and larval imaginal discs. Hh proteins show a high degree of sequence identity wi thin and between species. Recent analysis has demonstrated that this f amily of molecules may act ina mechanistically similar way to provide positional signalling within different phyla.