Hedgehog Nanopackages Ready for Dispatch

Hedgehog proteins are intercellular long-range signaling molecules that spread within tissues and activate gene expression during development. propose that Hedgehog forms nanometer-sized oligomers that localize in proteoglycan-rich clusters at the surface of cells expressing Hedgehog. This nanoscale organization and enrichment in clusters ensures that Hedgehog is able to spread and activate signaling over many cell diameters.