Rho family GTPases: the cytoskeleton and beyond

Until recently, members of the Rho family of GTPases were considered primarily to be regulators of the distinct structures making up the actin cytoskeleton. Several Rho GTPases have now also been shown to play an important role in cell transformation. In addition, Cdc42, Rac and Rho activate transcription, providing a possible mechanism for their role in growth control.