Author response: Cytoneme delivery of Sonic Hedgehog from ligand-producing cells requires Myosin 10 and a Dispatched-BOC/CDON co-receptor complex
Year: 2021
Type: peer-review
Abstract: During development, cells must work together and talk to each other to build the organs and tissues of the growing embryo. To communicate precisely with long-distance targets, cells can project a series of thin finger-like structures known as cytonemes. Cells use these miniature highways to exchange cargo and signals, such as the protein sonic hedgehog (SHH for short). Alterations to the way SHH is exchanged during development predispose to cancer and lead to disorders of the nervous system. Yet, the mechanisms by which cytonemes work in mammals remain to be fully elucidated. In particular, it is still unclear how the structures start to form, and how the proteins are loaded and transported from one end to another. A ‘molecular motor’ called myosin 10, which can carry cargo along the internal skeleton of cells, may be involved in these processes. To find out, Hall et al. used fluorescent probes to track both myosin 10 and SHH in mouse cells, showing that myosin 10 carries SHH from the core of the signal-producing cell to the tips of cytonemes. There, the protein is passed to the target cell upon contact, triggering a quick response. SHH also appeared to be more than just passive cargo, interacting with another group of proteins in the signal-emitting cell before reaching its target. This mechanism then encourages the signalling cells to produce more cytonemes towards their neighbours. SHH is crucial during development, but also after birth: in fact, changes to SHH transport in adulthood can also disrupt tissue balance and hinder healing. Understanding how healthy tissues send this signal may reveal why and how disease emerges.
Language: English
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
OpenAlex ID: W4240859771