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Updated: Aug 17, 2026

Detection of Small GTPase Prenylation and GTP Binding Using Membrane Fractionation and GTPase-linked Immunosorbent Assay
Published on: November 11, 2018
The GTPase RhoA increases utrophin expression and stability, as well as its localization at the plasma membrane
Armelle Bonet-Kerrache1, Mathieu Fortier, Franck Comunale
1CRBM (Centre de Recherches en Biochimie Macromoléculaire), CNRS FRE2593, 1919 Route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier Cedex, France.
Abstract:
The Rho family of small GTPases are signalling molecules involved in cytoskeleton remodelling and gene transcription. Their activities are important for many cellular processes, including myogenesis. In particular, RhoA positively regulates skeletal-muscle differentiation. We report in the present study that the active form of RhoA increases the expression of utrophin, the autosomal homologue of dystrophin in the mouse C2C12 and rat L8 myoblastic cell lines. Even though this RhoA-dependent utrophin increase is higher in proliferating myoblasts, it is maintained during myogenic differentiation. This occurs via two mechanisms: (i) transcriptional activation of the utrophin promoter A and (ii) post-translational stabilization of utrophin. In addition, RhoA increases plasma-membrane localization of utrophin. Thus RhoA activation up-regulates utrophin levels and enhances its localization at the plasma membrane.
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