Gli-type zinc finger proteins as bipotential transducers of Hedgehog signaling

Secreted proteins of the Hedgehog (Hh) family direct the development of diverse organs and tissues of vertebrates and invertebrates. Gli-type zinc finger proteins function as transcriptional mediators of the Hh signaling cascade and were implicated both in the activation and repression of Hh target genes. The differential activity of Gli-type zinc finger proteins is regulated on the level of proteolytic processing and subcellular localization as a complex concert of Hh-responsive, intracellular determinants. Here, we provide a survey of recent studies on the characterization of molecular mechanisms involved in the interpretation of Hh signals by Gli-type zinc finger proteins.