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Related Concept Videos

GTPases and their Regulation02:14

GTPases and their Regulation

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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,...
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GTPases and their Regulation02:14

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Rab Cascades01:25

Rab Cascades

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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.
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Rab Proteins01:14

Rab Proteins

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Rab proteins constitute the largest family of monomeric GTPases, of which 70 members are present in humans. Rab proteins and their effectors regulate consecutive stages of vesicle transport such as vesicle transport, docking, and fusion to the correct recipient membrane.
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Social Traps01:41

Social Traps

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Social traps are negative situations where people get caught in a direction or relationship that later proves to be unpleasant, with no easy way to back out of or avoid. The concept was orignally introduced by John Platt who applied psychology to Garrett Hardin's "Tragedy of the Commons", where in New England herd owners could let their cattle graze in the common ground. This situation seems like a good idea, but an individual could have an advantage. If they owned...
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Coat Assembly and GTPases01:33

Coat Assembly and GTPases

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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.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 31, 2026

Detection of Small GTPase Prenylation and GTP Binding Using Membrane Fractionation and GTPase-linked Immunosorbent Assay
13:51

Detection of Small GTPase Prenylation and GTP Binding Using Membrane Fractionation and GTPase-linked Immunosorbent Assay

Published on: November 11, 2018

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TRAPPing a Rab GTPase by the Tail.

Jianjun Duan1, David G Lambright1

  • 1Program in Molecular Medicine and Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.

Developmental Cell
|January 9, 2019
PubMed
Summary

Two TRAPP complexes utilize a steric gating mechanism to select distinct Rab GTPase substrates, highlighting the role of hypervariable tails in GEF specificity. This research clarifies Rab GTPase regulation.

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) are crucial for regulating Rab GTPase activity and membrane localization.
  • Rab GTPases are essential for intracellular membrane trafficking and organelle organization.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the mechanism by which two TRAPP complexes, sharing a common GEF core, differentiate between Rab GTPase substrates.
  • To investigate the role of hypervariable tails in substrate selection by TRAPP complexes.

Main Methods:

  • Structural analysis of TRAPP complexes and Rab GTPases.
  • Biochemical assays to assess GEF activity and substrate binding.
  • Mutagenesis studies to probe the function of hypervariable tails.

More Related Videos

The Tail Suspension Test
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The Tail Suspension Test

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Comparing the Affinity of GTPase-binding Proteins using Competition Assays
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Comparing the Affinity of GTPase-binding Proteins using Competition Assays

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 31, 2026

Detection of Small GTPase Prenylation and GTP Binding Using Membrane Fractionation and GTPase-linked Immunosorbent Assay
13:51

Detection of Small GTPase Prenylation and GTP Binding Using Membrane Fractionation and GTPase-linked Immunosorbent Assay

Published on: November 11, 2018

10.3K
The Tail Suspension Test
10:17

The Tail Suspension Test

Published on: January 28, 2012

83.3K
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

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Main Results:

  • Demonstrated that TRAPP complexes employ a steric gating mechanism for Rab substrate selection.
  • Identified the hypervariable tails as key determinants of substrate specificity.
  • Showcased how distinct Rab GTPases are targeted by complexes with a shared GEF core.

Conclusions:

  • The hypervariable tails of TRAPP complexes are critical for dictating which Rab GTPases are activated.
  • Steric gating provides a novel mechanism for achieving specificity in GEF-GTPase interactions.
  • This study deepens our understanding of Rab GTPase regulation and membrane trafficking pathways.