Smoothened Transduces Hedgehog Signals via Activity-Dependent Sequestration of PKA Subunits

The Hedgehog (Hh) pathway is essential for tissue homeostasis, and misregulation of this cascade drives several cancers. To control expression of pathway target genes, the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) Smoothened (SMO) activates glioma-associated (GLI) transcription factors via an unknown mechanism. Here we show that, rather than conforming to traditional GPCR signaling paradigms, SMO activates GLI by binding and sequestering protein kinase A (PKA) catalytic subunits at the membrane. This sequestration, triggered by GPCR kinase 2 (GRK2)-mediated phosphorylation of SMO intracellular domains, prevents PKA from phosphorylating soluble substrates, releasing GLI from PKA-mediated inhibition. Our work provides a mechanism directly linking vertebrate Hh signal transduction at the membrane to transcription factor activation in the nucleus. In contrast to existing models, our work shows that this aspect of Hh signaling is fundamentally similar between species. The mechanism described here may apply broadly to other GPCR- and PKA-containing cascades.