Description
Biological activity
Background information
Sonic hedgehog (SHH) is involved in a wide variety of embryonic developmental events, including neurogenesis, limb development, hematopoiesis, and gut formation. Besides their role as morphogens, hedgehog family members have also been shown to act as mitogens, cell survival factors, and axon guidance factors and to influence tissue regeneration within the adult. SHH is synthesized as a precursor, which is autocatalytically cleaved into a 19 kDa N-terminal domain (SHH-N) and a 25 kDa C-terminal domain (SHH-C). SHH-N is responsible for the signaling activity of hedgehog proteins, while SHH-C acts as a cholesterol transferase and covalently attaches a cholesterol molecule to SHH-N. The lipid-modified SHH-N displays enhanced activity. Human SHH (C24II) corresponds to the mature SHH-N domain and carries a Cys to Ile-Ile substitution resulting in a lipophilic moiety and therefore an increased activity.
Quality description
Research-grade cytokines are suitable for a wide variety of cell culture applications. They are sterile-filtered prior to lyophilization. Generally, endotoxin levels are <0.1 ng/μg (<1 EU/μg), and purities are >95%. The biological activity is tested in appropriate bioassays.
Premium-grade cytokines offer the convenience of high and well-defined biological activities and allow exact unit dosing for demanding applications. The biological activity is determined after lyophilization and reconstitution, and normalized to WHO/NIBSC standards whenever available. In general, endotoxin levels are <0.01 ng/μg (<0.1 EU/μg), and purities are >97%. Lot-specific activities are stated in the Certificate of Analysis (www. miltenyibiotec.com/certificates).
Overview
Recombinant Human SHH (Sonic Hedgehog; or C24II) can promote growth and differentiation of embryonic stem cells, adult mesenchymal stem cells, and cells within the neuronal lineage. The morphogenetic cytokine is crucial for embryonic development, as it is involved in the patterning of the central nervous system, somites, and limbs. Recombinant Human SHH is ideal for use in cell culture, differentiation studies, and functional assays.
