An essential role for the Gai2 protein in Smoothened-stimulated mammary epithelial cell proliferation

Hedgehog (Hh) signaling is critical for organogenesis, tissue homeostasis, and stem cell maintenance. Smoothened (SMO), the primary effector of Hh signaling, is expressed ectopically in human breast cancer, as well as in other cancers. Constitutive activation of SMO in mouse mammary glands leads to paracrine stimulation of proliferation, as well as hyperplasia. In canonical signaling, SMO functions via GLI transcription factor activation. However, recent data from Drosophila and mammalian cell lines indicate that SMO can function non-canonically as a G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) by coupling to heterotrimeric G proteins, particularly those in the pertussis toxin (PTX)-sensitive G-alpha-i (Gai) class. Whether SMO functions as a GPCR in mammalian tissues in vivo is not known. Using genetically modified mouse models, we demonstrate here that SMO-induced stimulation of proliferation is PTX sensitive, and requires Gai2, but not Gai1 or Gai3. Our findings provide evidence for a non-canonical GPCR function of activated SMO in vivo, a finding that may have clinical significance given that most SMO-targeted agents were selected based largely on their ability to block canonical GLI-mediated transcription. Primary mammary epithelial cell RNA was deep-sequenced from mT-mG/SmoM2;MMTV-Cre (EGFP), mT-mG/SmoM2;MMTV-Cre (tdTomato), and mT-mG/SmoM2;+ cells to examine the effects of SmoM2 overexpression in the mammary gland.