Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) is a member of the Hedgehog (Hh) family of highly conserved proteins which are widely represented throughout the animal kingdom. In mammal, there are three related Hh proteins, Sonic (Shh), Desert (Dhh) and Indian (Ihh). They share a high degree of amino-acid sequence identity (e.g., Shh and Ihh are 93% identical). Sonic Hedgehog plays a role in cell growth, cell specialization, and the normal shaping (patterning) of the body. Shh is also important for development of the brain and spinal cord (central nervous system), eyes, limbs, and many other parts of the body.
Recombinant human Sonic Hedgehog (C24II) (rhShh) produced in E. coli is a single non-glycosylated polypeptide chain containing 175 amino acids. A fully biologically active molecule, rhShh has a molecular mass of 19.7 kDa analyzed by reducing SDS-PAGE and is obtained by proprietary chromatographic techniques at GenScript.