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GTPases in intracellular trafficking: an overview
Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology
|December 15, 2010
Summary
Small GTPases like Rab, Arf, and Rho, and dynamin, control how cells move materials. This review explores their roles in vesicle transport, coordination, and links to human health and disease.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Cell Biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Focuses on small GTPases (Rab, Arf, Rho) and large GTPase (dynamin) roles in intracellular trafficking.
- Examines the regulation of vesicular transport steps: formation, scission, targeting, and fusion.
Discussion:
- Reviews emerging roles of GTPases in coordinating transport steps.
- Discusses GTPase coordination with other cellular processes.
- Explores common structures and mechanisms of ras-like GTPase function.
Key Insights:
- GTPases are central regulators of vesicular transport dynamics.
- Their coordinated action is crucial for cellular organization.
- Dysregulation of GTPase function is linked to human diseases.
Outlook:
- Highlights the importance of understanding GTPase mechanisms for human health.
- Suggests future research directions in GTPase-mediated cellular processes.
- Emphasizes the translational potential in disease treatment.
Related Concept Videos
GTPases and their Regulation
Guanine nucleotide-binding proteins (G-proteins), also known as GTPases, are a superfamily of proteins that regulate many cellular processes, such as cell signaling, vesicular transport, and the regulation of cell shape and motility. Mutation or dysfunction of these proteins can lead to disease. There are around 40,000 known G-proteins that can broadly be classified into two groups ‒ small G-proteins consisting of a single domain and large multi-domain G-proteins.
Large G-proteins, also known...
Large G-proteins, also known...
GTPases and their Regulation
Guanine nucleotide-binding proteins (G-proteins), also known as GTPases, are a superfamily of proteins that regulate many cellular processes, such as cell signaling, vesicular transport, and the regulation of cell shape and motility. Mutation or dysfunction of these proteins can lead to disease. There are around 40,000 known G-proteins that can broadly be classified into two groups ‒ small G-proteins consisting of a single domain and large multi-domain G-proteins.
Large G-proteins, also known...
Large G-proteins, also known...
Rab Cascades
Rab GTPases act in a regulated cascade during membrane fusion, helping the lipid bilayers mix. The Rab family of proteins are active when bound to GTP, and inactive when bound to GDP. Hence, they act as guanine nucleotide-dependent molecular switches. Rab-GTP recognizes and binds to long or short-range tethering proteins to capture the target vesicle. These tethers coordinate with SNAREs on the vesicle and the target membrane to assemble the trans SNARE complex that locks the mixing bilayers.
Coat Assembly and GTPases
Vesicles incorporate different coat protein subunits in different cell locations, which changes the properties of the coat, such as the shape and geometry of the transport vesicles. Thus, vesicle coat proteins also play a significant role in cargo selection.
Coat assembly depends on the local availability of phosphatidylinositol phosphates or PIPs and GTP-binding proteins. Adaptor proteins, which link the coat proteins to the membrane, bind to these PIPs and play a crucial role in controlling...
Coat assembly depends on the local availability of phosphatidylinositol phosphates or PIPs and GTP-binding proteins. Adaptor proteins, which link the coat proteins to the membrane, bind to these PIPs and play a crucial role in controlling...
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:
Three regulatory proteins control their activity:
Cotranslational Protein Translocation
Translocation of proteins across membranes is an ancient process that occurs even in bacteria and archaebacteria. In fact, the components of the translocation machinery are still conserved between prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
Sec61 channel partners for cotranslational translocation
During cotranslational translocation, the Sec61 channel partners with the signal recognition particle (SRP), the signal recognition particle receptor (SR), and the ribosomes to transport the nascent polypeptide chain...
Sec61 channel partners for cotranslational translocation
During cotranslational translocation, the Sec61 channel partners with the signal recognition particle (SRP), the signal recognition particle receptor (SR), and the ribosomes to transport the nascent polypeptide chain...

