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Rhes Tunnels: A Radical New Way of Communication in the Brain's Striatum?
Author(s) -
Subramaniam Srinivasa
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
bioessays
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.175
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1521-1878
pISSN - 0265-9247
DOI - 10.1002/bies.201900231
Subject(s) - striatum , microbiology and biotechnology , vesicle , neuroscience , cell , chemistry , nanotechnology , biology , biochemistry , materials science , dopamine , membrane
Ras homolog enriched in the striatum (Rhes) is a striatal enriched protein that promotes the formation of thin membranous tubes resembling tunneling nanotubes (TNT)—“Rhes tunnels”—that connect neighboring cell and transport cargoes: vesicles and proteins between the neuronal cells. Here the literature on TNT‐like structures is reviewed, and the implications of Rhes‐mediated TNT, the mechanisms of its formation, and its potential in novel cell‐to‐cell communication in regulating striatal biology and disease are emphasized. Thought‐provoking ideas regarding how Rhes‐mediated TNT, if it exists, in vivo, would radically change the way neurons communicate in the brain are discussed.