Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 1, 2026

Comparing the Affinity of GTPase-binding Proteins using Competition Assays
10:37

Comparing the Affinity of GTPase-binding Proteins using Competition Assays

Published on: October 8, 2015

9.6K

Rac and Rho driving tumor invasion: who's at the wheel?

Marc Symons1, Jeffrey E Segall

  • 1Center for Oncology and Cell Biology, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research at North Shore-LIJ, Manhasset, NY 11030, USA. msymons@nshs.edu

Genome Biology
|March 18, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Genome-wide analysis identified key regulators of Rho-family small GTPases. These elements are critical for controlling melanoma cell morphology and invasion.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Melanoma cell morphology and invasion are critical factors in cancer progression.
  • Rho-family small GTPases are known regulators of cellular processes, including cytoskeleton dynamics and cell motility.
  • Understanding the regulators of these GTPases is crucial for deciphering melanoma cell behavior.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To conduct a genome-wide analysis to identify novel regulators of Rho-family small GTPases.
  • To investigate the role of these identified regulators in controlling melanoma cell morphology.
  • To determine the impact of these regulators on the invasive behavior of melanoma cells.

Main Methods:

  • Genome-wide screening approaches were employed.
  • Functional assays were utilized to assess cell morphology.
  • In vitro invasion assays were performed to evaluate cell invasiveness.

Main Results:

  • A set of critical regulatory elements of Rho-family small GTPases was identified through genome-wide analysis.
  • These regulators were found to significantly influence melanoma cell morphology.
  • The identified regulators play a crucial role in controlling the invasive capabilities of melanoma cells.

Conclusions:

  • The study successfully identified key regulators of Rho-family small GTPases involved in melanoma.
  • These findings provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms governing melanoma cell morphology and invasion.
  • Targeting these regulators may offer potential therapeutic strategies for melanoma treatment.

More Related Videos

Three-Dimensional 3D Tumor Spheroid Invasion Assay12:19

Three-Dimensional 3D Tumor Spheroid Invasion Assay

Published on: May 1, 2015

59.2K
RhoC GTPase Activation Assay09:58

RhoC GTPase Activation Assay

Published on: August 22, 2010

12.9K

Related Concept Videos

Small GTPases - Ras and Rho01:24

Small GTPases - Ras and Rho

Ras and Rho are small monomeric GTPases that act downstream of receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) and regulate various cellular processes. These GTPases switch between active and inactive states by binding to guanine nucleotides.
Three regulatory proteins control their activity:
5.1K
Cell Polarization by Rho Proteins01:21

Cell Polarization by Rho Proteins

Cell polarity is the asymmetric distribution of cellular and membrane components, making one side of the cell different from the other. This polarity is essential to many processes such as embryogenesis, axon migration, glucose transport across epithelial cells, and directional cell migration. A migrating cell responds to intracellular or extracellular signals via molecular cascades that reorganize the actin cytoskeleton to establish this polarity. In these cells, the Rho family proteins Cdc42,...
3.5K
Cancer Cell Migration through Invadopodia01:35

Cancer Cell Migration through Invadopodia

Invadosome is a broad category of cell surface structures with proteolytic activity that  degrades the extracellular matrix (ECM). Invadosomes are present in normal cell types, including macrophages, endothelial cells, and neurons, as well as tumor cells. Although the macrophage podosomes and tumor cell invadopodia are classified as invadosomes, they have different structures, molecular pathways, and functions. Podosomes are short structures that last for a few minutes. However,...
3.1K
The Ras Gene02:38

The Ras Gene

The Ras-gene-encoded proteins are regulators of signaling pathways controlling cell proliferation, differentiation, or cell survival. The Ras-gene family in humans constitutes three primary members—the HRas, NRas, and KRas. These genes code for four functionally distinct yet closely related proteins—the HRas, NRas, KRas4A, and KRas4B. The involvement of mutant Ras genes in human cancer was first discovered in 1982 and is among the most common causes of human tumorigenesis.
Ras is a...
7.0K
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression03:03

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or the...
4.5K
Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration01:32

Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration

A migrating cell changes its shape during the cyclic events of attachment and detachment from the substratum and repositions the cell organelles correspondingly. These complex events are orchestrated by the dynamic cytoskeletal network comprising actin filaments, intermediate filaments, and microtubules. Cytoskeletal crosstalk — the direct and indirect communication between the different components — is crucial for this coordination. Direct communication involves various linker...
5.3K