E-Book Overview
Small GTPases play a key role in many aspects of contemporary cell biology: control of cell growth and differentiation; regulation of cell adhesion and cell movement; the organization of the actin cytoskeleton; and the regulation of intracellular vesicular transport. This volume plus its companion Volumes 255 and 256 cover all biochemical and biological assays currently in use for analyzing the role of small GTPases in these aspects of cell biology at the molecular level.Volume 257 provides detailed protocols to effectively produce, modify, and assay for the function of small GTPases involved in vesicular traffic through the secretory pathway of eukaryotic cells.
E-Book Content
Preface GTPases are now recognized to regulate many different steps in membrane vesicular transport. They are involved in the assembly of vesicle coats (budding), movement along cytoskeletal elements, and in vesicle targeting and in fusion. They are clearly a key group of regulatory proteins that control transport through both the exocytic and endocytic pathways. GTPases involved in membrane transport include the Rab and ARF families, Sarl, and dynamin. Because these GTPases are switches, they function by either responding to or controlling the activity of a range of upstream and downstream effectors. These include posttranslational modifying enzymes (such as prenyltransferases and myristyltransferases), factors which effect guanine nucleotide binding ]guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitors (GDIs) and guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs)], and factors which stimulate guanine nucleotide hydrolysis [GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs)]. Moreover, they may also interact with motors and structural elements dictating vesicle and organelle function. The number of identified effectors directing or responding to transport GTPases is expanding rapidly. The purpose of this volume is to bring together