title: The pebble GTP exchange factor and the control of cytokinesis.
abstract: Several G proteins of the Rho family have been shown to be required for cytokinesis. The activity of these proteins is regulated by GTP exchange factors (GEFs), which stimulate GDP/GTP exchange, and by GTPase activating proteins (GAPs), which suppress activity by stimulating the intrinsic GTPase activity. The role of Rho family members during cytokinesis is likely to be determined by their spatial and temporal interactions with these factors. Here we focus on the role of the pebble (pbl) gene of Drosophila melanogaster, a RhoGEF that is required for cytokinesis. We summarise the evidence that the primary target of PBL is Rho1 and describe genetic approaches to elucidating the function of PBL and identifying other components of the PBL-activated Rho signalling pathway.
authors.affiliation: Centre for the Molecular Genetics of Development and Dept. of Molecular Biosciences, Adelaide University, SA, Australia.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: O'Keefe
authors.forename: W G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Somers
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Harley
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Saint
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D020662:Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016200:Maturation-Promoting Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D017956:Photoreceptor Cells, Invertebrate / Q000254:growth & development / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D020662:Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors; C121865:Pbl protein, Drosophila; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D016200:Maturation-Promoting Factor