Hedgehog signaling is known to regulate tissue morphogenesis and cell differentiation in a dose-dependent manner. Loss of Indian hedgehog(Ihh) results in reduction in pancreas size, indicating a requirement for hedgehog signaling during pancreas development. By contrast, ectopic expression of sonic hedgehog (Shh) inhibits pancreatic marker expression and results in transformation of pancreatic mesenchyme into duodenal mesoderm. These observations suggest that hedgehog signaling activity has to be regulated tightly to ensure proper pancreas development. We have analyzed the function of two hedgehog inhibitors, Hhip and patched 1 (Ptch),during pancreas formation. Our results indicated that loss of Hhipresults in increased hedgehog signaling within the pancreas anlage. Pancreas morphogenesis, islet formation and endocrine cell proliferation is impaired in Hhip mutant embryos. Additional loss of one Ptch allele in Hhip–/–Ptch+/–embryos further impairs pancreatic growth and endodermal cell differentiation. These results demonstrate combined requirements for Hhip and Ptch during pancreas development and point to a dose-dependent response to hedgehog signaling within pancreatic tissue. Reduction of Fgf10 expression in Hhip homozygous mutants suggests that at least some of the observed phenotypes result from hedgehog-mediated inhibition of Fgf signaling at early stages.
About us
Our publisher, The Company of Biologists, turns 100 this year. Read about the history of the Company and find out what Sarah Bray, our Chair of the Board of Directors, has to say.
Biologists @ 100 - join us in Liverpool in March 2025
We are excited to invite you to a unique scientific conference, celebrating the 100-year anniversary of The Company of Biologists, and bringing together our different communities. The conference will incorporate the Spring Meetings of the BSCB and the BSDB, the JEB Symposium Sensory Perception in a Changing World and a DMM programme on antimicrobial resistance. Find out more and register by 28 February 2025 to join us in March 2025 in Liverpool, UK.
Call for papers – Lifelong Development: the Maintenance, Regeneration and Plasticity of Tissues
Development invites you to submit your latest research to our upcoming special issue – Lifelong Development: the Maintenance, Regeneration and Plasticity of Tissues. This issue will be coordinated by Guest Editors Meritxell Huch (Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Germany) and Mansi Srivastava (Harvard University and Museum of Comparative Zoology, USA), working alongside our team of academic Editors. Submit your articles by 15 May 2025.
A case for broadening our view of mechanism in developmental biology
In this Perspective, B. Duygu Özpolat and colleagues survey researchers on their views on what it takes to infer mechanism in developmental biology. They examine what factors shape our idea of what we mean by ‘mechanism’ and suggest a path forward that embraces a broad outlook on the diversity of studies that advance knowledge in our field.
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