Rho family proteins in cell adhesion and cell migration.
Cell migration and the regulation of cadherin-mediated homotypic cell-cell interactions are critical events during development, morphogenesis and wound healing. Aberrations in signalling pathways involved in the regulation of cell migration and cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion contribute to tumour invasion and metastasis. The rho family proteins, including cdc42, rac1 and rhoA, regulate signalling pathways that mediate the distinct actin cytoskeleton changes required for both cellular motility and cell-cell adhesion. Recent studies indicate that rac directly influences rho activity at the GTPase level and that the reciprocal balance between rac and rho activity can determine epithelial or mesenchymal cell morphology and migratory behaviour of epithelial (tumour) cells.
Evers
E E
EE
The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Division of Cell Biology, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Zondag
G C
GC
Malliri
A
A
Price
L S
LS
ten Klooster
J P
JP
van der Kammen
R A
RA
Collard
J G
JG
D015820:Cadherins / Q000502:physiology; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology*; D002450:Cell Communication; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000503:physiopathology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology*
D015820:Cadherins; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins