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Updated: Jun 17, 2026

Spatio-Temporal Manipulation of Small GTPase Activity at Subcellular Level and on Timescale of Seconds in Living Cells
Published on: March 9, 2012
Rap1, a mercenary among the Ras-like GTPases
E W Frische1, F J T Zwartkruis
1Department of Physiological Chemistry, University Medical Center Utrecht, Centre for Biomedical Genetics and Cancer Genomics Centre, Universiteitsweg 100, 584 CG Utrecht, The Netherlands.
The small Ras-like GTPase Rap1 protein regulates cell shape and adhesion. Genetic studies reveal Rap1 uses different effectors across organisms to control cell polarity, matrix interactions, and cell adhesion.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Cell Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Rap1 is a small GTPase involved in cell morphology.
- It is regulated by growth factors, cytokines, physical force, and osmotic stress.
- Numerous Rap1 effector molecules have been proposed based on biochemical studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide an overview of genetic studies on Rap1 in model organisms.
- To correlate observed phenotypes with in vitro findings.
- To elucidate Rap1's role in morphogenesis.
Main Methods:
- Review of genetic studies in various model organisms.
- Correlation of genetic phenotypes with biochemical and in vitro data.
Main Results:
- Rap1 is a versatile regulator of morphogenesis.
- It controls cellular polarity, cell-matrix interactions, and cell-cell adhesion.
- Genetic experiments show Rap1 utilizes distinct effectors in different organisms.
Conclusions:
- Rap1 plays a crucial role in diverse cellular processes.
- Rap1's effector usage varies across species, impacting the actin cytoskeleton and adhesion molecules.
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