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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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Small GTPases - Ras and Rho01:24

Small GTPases - Ras and Rho

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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.
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Activation and Inactivation of G Proteins01:22

Activation and Inactivation of G Proteins

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Heterotrimeric G proteins are guanine nucleotide-binding proteins. As the name suggests, heterotrimeric G proteins are composed of three subunits: alpha, beta, and gamma. They remain GDP-bound or GTP-bound inside the cells and switch between inactive/active states. The Gα subunit possesses the nucleotide-binding pocket that binds guanine nucleotides and switches between GDP or GTP-bound states. In contrast, the Gꞵ and Gγ subunits are always bound together with high...
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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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Generation of Straight or Branched Actin Filaments01:14

Generation of Straight or Branched Actin Filaments

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The straight or branched structure formation of actin filaments is controlled by nucleating proteins such as the formins and Arp2/3 complex. Formin-mediated assembly results in straight filaments, whereas Arp2/3 protein complex-mediated assembly results in branched actin filaments.
Arp2/3 Complex
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Affinity Precipitation of Active Rho-GEFs Using a GST-tagged Mutant Rho Protein GST-RhoAG17A from Epithelial Cell Lysates
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An evolutionary perspective on Arf family GTPases.

Catherine L Jackson1, Julie Ménétrey2, Mandeep Sivia3

  • 1Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, F-75013 Paris, France.

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Summary

The Arf GTPase family regulates eukaryotic cell organization. Its evolution involved gene duplication and loss, shaping diverse functions across eukaryotes.

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Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Arf GTPases are key regulators of eukaryotic cellular organization.
  • They play critical roles in secretory and endocytic pathways, cytoskeleton dynamics, and lipid metabolism.
  • Their involvement extends to cilia and flagella functions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe the evolutionary history of the Arf GTPase family.
  • To analyze the diversification of Arf GTPases since the last eukaryotic common ancestor.
  • To highlight the varying distribution and functions of Arf GTPases across eukaryotic lineages.

Main Methods:

  • Phylogenetic analysis of Arf GTPase gene families.
  • Comparative genomics to trace gene duplication and loss events.
  • Literature review of known Arf GTPase functions and distributions.

Main Results:

  • The last eukaryotic common ancestor possessed fifteen Arf GTPase members.
  • Gene loss and duplication events have significantly shaped the current Arf GTPase repertoire.
  • Some Arf GTPases are universally conserved, while others exhibit restricted phylogenetic distribution.

Conclusions:

  • Arf GTPase evolution is characterized by dynamic gene family alterations.
  • Understanding the diverse and lineage-specific functions of Arf GTPases remains an ongoing challenge.
  • Further research is needed to elucidate the full spectrum of Arf GTPase functions across all eukaryotes.