The biological activity of Jervine (Jerwiny) is mediated via its interaction with the 7 passes transmembrane protein Smoothened. Jervine binds with and inhibits smoothened, which is an integral part of the Hedgehog signaling pathways. With smoothened inhibited, the GLI1 transcription cannot be activated and Hedgehog target genes cannot be transcribed.

Hedgehog:500-700 nM (IC50)

与对照组相比，暴露于25 μg/ml jervine的软骨细胞培养显示细胞数量明显减少，但在细胞形态或alcian blue染色的相对强度上没有差异[2]。

胚胎暴露于jervine时，会发展出与Shh突变胚胎中发现的类似的颅面异常。这些胚胎的下颌严重缩小，常常导致门牙缺失。用jervine处理怀孕的小鼠，会在胚胎中诱发类似于Prx1/Prx2/胚胎中发现的下颌缺陷。下颌的远端部分大小减小，两颗门牙缺失[1]。

Cells are grown in Eagle's basal medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum and 0.25 mg/ml gentamicin sulfate. Cells are seeded onto 35-mm tissue culture plates at a density of 1×104 celldplate. The plated cells are incubated for 24 hours prior to treatment in a humidified incubator at 37 "C in an atmosphere of 5% CO2 in air. Drugs are then added: jervine to a final concentration of 5, 10, or 25 μg/ml; retinoic acid at 0.03, 0.30, or 3.0 pg/ml. After a final 48 hours of incubation, media are removed, the cultures are rinsed three times with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) pH 7.4, and the cells are harvested into 0.5 ml of 0.1% (w/v) trypsin which contained 0.1% EDTA (w/v) in PBS. Each sample is mixed with 9.5 ml Isoton Ⅱ, and cell numbers are determined by using a Coulter Counter. (Only for Reference)