An optimal probe provided quantitative profiling of cholesterylation in multiple pancreatic cancer cell lines with elevated Shh expression, the first direct evidence for extensive Shh cholesterylation in secreted multimeric signaling complexes, confocal fluorescent imaging of labeled Shh in human cells, and visualization of cholesterylated Hh proteins in zebrafish embryos. The gene discussed is SHH; the disease is familial pancreatic carcinoma.