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Updated: Jul 19, 2026

Comparing the Affinity of GTPase-binding Proteins using Competition Assays
Published on: October 8, 2015
Rho GTPase activity zones and transient contractile arrays
William M Bement1, Ann L Miller, George von Dassow
1Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA. wmbement@wisc.edu
Abstract:
The Rho GTPases-Rho, Rac and Cdc42-act as molecular switches, cycling between an active GTP-bound state and an inactive GDP-bound state, to regulate the actin cytoskeleton. It has recently become apparent that the Rho GTPases can be activated in subcellular zones that appear semi-stable, yet are dynamically maintained. These Rho GTPase activity zones are associated with a variety of fundamental biological processes including symmetric and asymmetric cytokinesis and cellular wound repair. Here we review the basic features of Rho GTPase activity zones, suggest that these zones represent a fundamental signaling mechanism, and discuss the implications of zone properties from the perspective of both their function and how they are likely to be controlled.
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