Hedgehog (Hh) Reporter Activity Assay

Abstract

This protocol is for testing responses of a candidate cell line/cell lines to Hh ligands or Hh pathway agonists stimulation. This protocol can also be adapted to screen small molecule libraries or biologics that contain activities to either increase or decrease Hh pathway responses. Canonical Hh signaling activity transcriptionally induces Hh target genes that contain consensus Gli binding element. Hh-responsive cells transiently or stably expressing luciferase protein under the regulation of the Gli promoter element can be used to report stimulus-dependent Hh-pathway activity.