CRC 1348 - A08: Molecular parameters for the dynamic assembly of Hedgehog signaling platforms

Basic data for this project

Description

The transporter protein Dispatched (Disp) solubilizes lipidated Hedgehog (Hh) morphogen proteins from the plasma membrane (PM) of Hh-producing cells. In the previous funding period, we showed that Disp extracts the cholesteroylated C-terminal Hh peptide and transports it to high-density lipoproteins (HDL), while the N-terminal peptide anchor is cleaved by the protease ADAM10. Additionally, we found that Disp also transports free PM cholesterol to HDL, revealing a non-canonical role of Disp in cholesterol homeostasis. We will now investigate the consequences of the two Disp functions for Hh morphogen transport and cellular physiology.