Open AccessRole of Rho-GTPases and their regulatory proteins in glomerular podocyte function
Author(s) -
Flaviana Mouawad,
Harmony Tsui,
Tomoko Takano
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
canadian journal of physiology and pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.559
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1205-7541
pISSN - 0008-4212
DOI - 10.1139/cjpp-2013-0135
Subject(s) - guanine nucleotide exchange factor , gtpase , rhoa , podocyte , microbiology and biotechnology , cdc42 , biology , nephrin , rac1 , actin , actin cytoskeleton , cytoskeleton , pak1 , biochemistry , phosphorylation , signal transduction , genetics , cell , kidney , proteinuria
Podocytes play a critical role in maintaining glomerular permselectivity. It has been long recognized that their intricate actin-based structures are tightly associated with their normal function; however, the precise mechanisms by which podocytes form and maintain their complex structure had been poorly understood until the intensive investigations on podocyte biology began in 1998, triggered by the breakthrough discovery of nephrin. This review summarizes the recent discoveries of the molecular mechanisms by which the actin cytoskeleton is regulated in podocytes. A particular focus will be on the role of the Rho-family of small GTPases, represented by RhoA, Rac1, and Cdc42. Rho-GTPases are known for their versatile cellular functions, most importantly for the actin regulatory roles. We will also discuss the potential roles of the 3 groups of proteins known to regulate Rho-GTPases, namely GTPase-activating proteins, guanine nucleotide exchange factors, and guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitors.