The Hedgehog-induced Smoothened conformational switch assembles a signaling complex that activates Fused by promoting its dimerization and phosphorylation

Development. 2011 Oct;138(19):4219-31. doi: 10.1242/dev.067959. Epub 2011 Aug 18.

Abstract

Hedgehog (Hh) transduces signal by regulating the subcellular localization and conformational state of the GPCR-like protein Smoothened (Smo) but how Smo relays the signal to cytoplasmic signaling components remains poorly understood. Here, we show that Hh-induced Smo conformational change recruits Costal2 (Cos2)/Fused (Fu) and promotes Fu kinase domain dimerization. We find that induced dimerization through the Fu kinase domain activates Fu by inducing multi-site phosphorylation of its activation loop (AL) and phospho-mimetic mutations of AL activate the Hh pathway. Interestingly, we observe that graded Hh signals progressively increase Fu kinase domain dimerization and AL phosphorylation, suggesting that Hh activates Fu in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, we find that activated Fu regulates Cubitus interruptus (Ci) by both promoting its transcriptional activator activity and inhibiting its proteolysis into a repressor form. We provide evidence that activated Fu exerts these regulations by interfering with the formation of Ci-Sufu and Ci-Cos2-kinase complexes that normally inhibit Ci activity and promote its processing. Taken together, our results suggest that Hh-induced Smo conformational change facilitates the assembly of active Smo-Cos2-Fu signaling complexes that promote Fu kinase domain dimerization, phosphorylation and activation, and that Fu regulates both the activator and repressor forms of Ci.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alleles
  • Animals
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
  • Dimerization
  • Drosophila Proteins / metabolism*
  • Drosophila melanogaster / metabolism
  • Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer
  • Hedgehog Proteins / metabolism*
  • Kinesins / metabolism*
  • Phosphorylation
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Conformation
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism*
  • RNA Interference
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction
  • Smoothened Receptor
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism*

Substances

  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Drosophila Proteins
  • Hedgehog Proteins
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled
  • Smoothened Receptor
  • Transcription Factors
  • ci protein, Drosophila
  • cos protein, Drosophila
  • smo protein, Drosophila
  • hh protein, Drosophila
  • fu protein, Drosophila
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • Kinesins