If $G$ is a closed subgroup of a commutative hypergroup $K$, then the coset space $K/G$ carries a quotient hypergroup structure. In this paper, we study related convolution structures on $K/G$ coming fromdeformations of the quotient hypergroup structure by certain functions on $K$ which we call partial characters with respect to $G$. They are usually not probability-preserving, but lead to so-called signed hypergroups on $K/G$. A first example is provided by the Laguerre convolution on $[0,\infty [$, which is interpreted as a signed quotient hypergroup convolution derived from the Heisenberg group. Moreover, signed hypergroups associated with the Gelfand pair $\left( U\left( n,1 \right),\,U\left( n \right) \right)$ are discussed.

For the three types of simply connected Riemannian spaces of constant curvature it is shown that the associated spherical functions can be obtained from the corresponding (zonal) spherical functions by application of a differential operator of the form p(i d/dt), where p belongs to a system of orthogonal polynomials: Gegenbauer polynomials, Hahn polynomials or continuous symmetric Hahn polynomials. We give a group theoretic explanation of this phenomenon and relate the properties of the polynomials p to the properties of the corresponding representation. The method is extended to the case of intertwining functions.