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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2016 Feb 20.
Published in final edited form as: Dev Dyn. 2011 Apr 4;240(5):1108–1115. doi: 10.1002/dvdy.22631

Fig. 3. Roles of Sonic hedgehog in the genital tubercle.

Fig. 3

Sonic hedgehog (Shh) expression in urethral epithelial cells is shown in blue. Mesodermal and surface ectodermal cells that respond directly to Shh signaling are shown in orange. Shh signals directly to the adjacent mesenchyme to positively regulate cell cycle progression (1) and to inhibit apoptosis (2). Shh signals directly to the ventral ectoderm to maintain the structural integrity of the epithelium (3), which is essential for maintenance of a closed urethral tube.