Signaling to the Rho GTPases: networking with the DH domain

Rho GTPases and signaling networks.

The Rho GTPases form a subgroup of the Ras superfamily of 20to 30-kD GTP-binding proteins that have been shown to regulate a wide spectrum of cellular functions. These proteins are ubiquitously expressed across the species, from yeast to man. The mammalian Rho-like GTPases comprise at least 10 distinct proteins: RhoA, B, C, D, and E; Rac1 and 2; RacE; Cdc42Hs, and TC10. A comparison of the amin...

Rho GTPases: Integrating Integrin Signaling

Rho GTPases

Cell migration is a complex, dynamic process that involves continuous remodeling of the cellular architecture, which is needed in order for the cell to move and adapt to changes in the surrounding environment. It requires rapidly activated and spatiotemporally regulated signaling networks that enable cellular responses to external cues. Rho-family GTPases are key components of these signaling n...

Rho Gtpases

The composition of the extracellular matrix (ECM) surrounding cells is key to their behavior: it modulates their ability to proliferate, differentiate, and migrate (Giancotti and Ruoslahti, 1999). ECM components can signal directly to cells through transmembrane receptors such as inte-grins, and can also present soluble cytokines and growth factors to cells. The morphology of cells varies great...

Rho GTPases

In his review of the Ras family in 1988, Pierre Chardin speculated that an obscure subfamily of the Ras superfamily, which at that time was only known in yeast, would be conserved in mammals. He was of course right, and today the number of labs and the amount of effort being expended to understand the vast network of Rho-family signaling is enormous. Given their fundamental role in normal and d...