# Defining the relationship of ciliary Arl13b and Smoothened

> **NIH NIH F31** · EMORY UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $45,520

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Mutations to the Hedgehog signaling pathway are known to cause common birth defects. Here, I propose
studying how the components of the Hedgehog pathway are regulated by the proteins of the primary cilium.
We hope that by studying where these pathways intersect we can better understand how the two processes
interact together in the healthy and disease states. The Hedgehog signaling pathway is known to influence a
variety of aspects of early development, including the brain, spinal cord, and skeleton of the face, limbs and
hands. Strangely, this pathway relies on a poorly understood cellular organelle called the primary cilium. I
propose that the key to better understanding pathway function is my studying how the pathway’s components
are regulated by the primary cilium and its ciliary proteins. I have hypothesized that a ciliary protein Arl13b is
necessary for the full activation of Smoothened, the activator of the Hedgehog signaling cascade. The specific
aims of this project are 1) to use a newly invented assay to measure Smoothened activation in the context of
ciliary and non-ciliary Arl13b and 2) to characterize the physiological impact ciliary and non-ciliary Arl13b has
on Smoothened activation in the developing mouse embryo. Through these methods, I aim to define the role of
Arl13b in Smoothened activation and strive to better understand the link between the Hedgehog pathway and
the primary cilium.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9977000
- **Project number:** 5F31NS106755-02
- **Recipient organization:** EMORY UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Eduardo D. Gigante
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $45,520
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-08-15 → 2021-06-01

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9977000

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9977000, Defining the relationship of ciliary Arl13b and Smoothened (5F31NS106755-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9977000. Licensed CC0.

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