Expression profiling identifies novel Hh/Gli-regulated genes in developing zebrafish embryos

The Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway plays critical instructional roles during embryonic development. Misregulation of Hh/Gli signaling is a major causative factor in human congenital disorders and in a variety of cancers. The zebrafish is a powerful genetic model for the study of Hh signaling during embryogenesis, as a large number of mutants that affect different components of the Hh/Gli signaling system have been identified. By performing global profiling of gene expression in different Hh/Gli gain- and loss-of-function scenarios we identified known (e.g., ptc1 and nkx2.2a) and novel Hh-regulated genes that are differentially expressed in embryos with altered Hh/Gli signaling function. By uncovering changes in tissue-specific gene expression, we revealed new embryological processes that are influenced by Hh signaling. We thus provide a comprehensive survey of Hh/Gli-regulated genes during embryogenesis and we identify new Hh-regulated genes that may be targets of misregulation during tumorigenesis.