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Updated: May 1, 2026
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Spatio-Temporal Manipulation of Small GTPase Activity at Subcellular Level and on Timescale of Seconds in Living Cells
Published on: March 9, 2012
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Orchestration of cell surface proteins by Rab11
Tobias Welz1, Joel Wellbourne-Wood1, Eugen Kerkhoff1
1Molecular Cell Biology Laboratory, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauss Allee 11, Regensburg, Germany.
Trends in Cell Biology
|March 29, 2014
Summary
Rab11 small G proteins are key regulators of cell surface protein transport. They control the delivery of receptors and adhesion proteins via molecular machinery, crucial for tissue organization.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Molecular Biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Cell surface protein organization is vital for multicellular structures like animal tissues.
- Rab11 small G proteins (Rab11a, b, Rab25) are critical regulators of receptor and adhesion protein surface expression.
- These proteins act as molecular switches, orchestrating transport machinery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the role of Rab11 proteins in cellular contexts.
- To discuss the regulation of Rab11.
- To elucidate the mechanisms of Rab11 effector protein coupling.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of existing research on Rab11 function.
- Analysis of Rab11 localization at the trans-Golgi network, post-Golgi vesicles, and recycling endosomes.
- Examination of Rab11's role in endocytic and exocytic trafficking pathways.
Main Results:
- Rab11 proteins are master regulators of cell surface protein transport.
- They utilize molecular machinery, including motor proteins and the exocyst complex.
- Rab11 functions at the crossroads of endocytic and exocytic pathways.
Conclusions:
- Rab11 proteins are essential for directing receptors and adhesion proteins to the cell surface.
- Their localization and regulatory mechanisms are key to cellular organization and tissue formation.
- Understanding Rab11's interaction with effector proteins provides insights into fundamental cell trafficking processes.
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