Research Projects

Shh-signaling is involved in patterning the developing embryos across species. In adults too its known to play a major role in stem cell maintenance, tissue repair and regeneration. We have identified that Shh is secreted on at least two differentially pelletable, exovesicular forms, across species (Drosophila, chick, humans). These exovesicular pools of Shh, namely Shh-P150 (classical exosomal pool) and Shh-P450 (newly identified, lighter pool), have differential signaling abilities. While both the pools activate Shh-signaling; Shh-P150 can activate ventral neuronal progenitors but Shh-P450 fails to do so. In our ongoing study, we have identified that Shh-P450 pool is enriched in miRNAs predicted to target ventral neuronal progenitor (Figure 1-3; unpublished data). Our proposed project here is aimed at, experimentally evaluating if miRNAs associated with Shh-P450 are involved in inhibiting Shh-P450 from activating ventral neuronal progenitors. Our proposed project can open new avenues to explore and understand this engimatic morphogen better. We envisage that partner of Shh on exovesicles can enable distinct outcomes by influencing different nodes of cellular signaling and processes to fine-tune its signaling abilities.