title: Cell adhesion and Rho small GTPases.
abstract: The Rho small GTPases, Cdc42, Rac1 and Rho, are implicated in regulation of integrin-mediated cell-substratum adhesion and cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion. Identification and characterization of effectors of these GTPases have provided insights into their modes of action. Rho-kinase, an effector of Rho, regulates integrin-mediated cell-substratum adhesion (focal adhesion) by regulating the phosphorylation state of myosin light chain (MLC): it directly phosphorylates MLC and also inactivates myosin phosphatase. IQGAP1, an effector of Cdc42 and Rac1, regulates cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion by interacting with (beta)-catenin and dissociating (alpha)-catenin from the cadherin-catenins complex. Activated Cdc42 and Rac1 inhibit IQGAP1, thereby stabilizing the cadherin-catenins complex. Cdc42/Rac1 and IQGAP1 thus appear to constitute a switch that regulates cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion.
authors.affiliation: Division of Signal Transduction, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Ikoma 630-0101, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fukata
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakagawa
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuroda
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kaibuchi
mesh_terms: D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology*; D019281:Dimerization; D020558:GTP Phosphohydrolases / Q000502:physiology*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D014443:Tyrosine / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins; D014443:Tyrosine; D020558:GTP Phosphohydrolases