The Role of Hedgehog Signaling Pathway in Testis

Hh (Hedgehog) signaling pathway is a classic pathway and it plays critical roles during organogenesis of the testis. Hh pathway regulates the differentiation of several types of cells, affects the patterning of testis and maintains adult testicular homeostasis. The main Hh signaling pathway ligand Dhh (Desert Hedgehog) is secreted from Sertoli cells and targets on distinct cell types. It directly regulates a distinct set of genes through Gli. The disorder of Dhh pathway would cause the defect of the testis architecture and reproduction. However, there are still many questions about the role of Hh signaling in gonad, such as how it determines cell fate and what downstream target genes are. This article reviews the current knowledge of the role of Hh signaling pathway in distinct gonad cell types and highlights the questions that remain to be explored.

CSTR: 32200.14.cjcb.2022.11.0017