Modification of proteins at C-terminal cysteine residues by the isoprenoids farnesyl (C15) or geranylgeranyl (C20) is essential for the membrane association and biological function of several eukaryotic proteins (for reviews, see 1, 2). Farnesylation is signalled by a C-terminal -CAAX motif where C is cysteine, A is aliphatic and X is usually serine or methionine. Farnesyltransferase (FTase) ut...

Despite the increasing number of regulatory proteins identified in clathrin-independent endocytic (CIE) pathways, our understanding of the exact functions of these proteins and the sequential manner in which they function remains limited. In this study, using the Caenorhabditis elegans intestine as a model, we observed a unique structure of interconnected endosomal tubules, which is required fo...

Membrane/protein trafficking in the secretory/biosynthetic and endocytic pathways is mediated by vesicles. Vesicle trafficking in eukaryotes is regulated by a class of small monomeric GTPases: the Rab protein family. Rab proteins represent the largest branch of the Ras superfamily GTPases, and have been concerned in a variety of intracellular vesicle trafficking and different intracellular sign...

Membrane/protein trafficking in the secretory/biosynthetic and endocytic pathways is mediated by vesicles. Vesicle trafficking in eukaryotes is regulated by a class of small monomeric GTPases: the Rab protein family. Rab proteins represent the largest branch of the Ras superfamily GTPases, and have been concerned in a variety of intracellular vesicle trafficking and different intracellular sign...

Rab GTPases and their effectors regulate membrane traffic by determining, along with cognate SNAREs, the specificity of transport vesicle docking and fusion steps. Recent studies have also implicated Rabs in the movement of these transport vesicles from their site of formation to their site of fusion, and several Rabs have been linked to specific microtubuleor actin-based motor proteins. Analys...

Prenylated proteins with non-native functionalities are generally very difficult to obtain by recombinant or enzymatic means. The semisynthesis of preparative amounts of prenylated Rab guanosine triphosphatases (GTPases) from recombinant proteins and synthetic prenylated peptides depends largely on the availability of functionalised prenylated peptides corresponding to the proteins' native stru...

The human genome encodes almost 70 Rab GTPases. These proteins are C-terminally geranylgeranylated and are localized to the surfaces of distinct membrane-bound compartments in eukaryotic cells. This mini review presents a working model for how Rabs achieve and maintain their steady-state localizations. Data from a number of laboratories suggest that Rabs participate in the generation of macromo...

The molecular mechanisms underlying sensitivity to alcohol are incompletely understood. Recent research has highlighted the involvement of two presynaptic proteins, Munc18 and Rab3. We have previously characterised biochemically a number of specific Munc18 point mutations including an E466K mutation that augments a direct Rab3 interaction. Here the phenotypes of this and other Munc18 mutations ...