title: The Rho family of small GTPases: crucial regulators of skeletal myogenesis.
abstract: The Rho family of small GTPases is involved in a diverse array of cellular processes, including regulation of the actin cytoskeleton, cell polarity, microtubule dynamics, membrane transport pathways and transcription factor activity. Recent findings have implicated the Rho proteins as key regulators of the skeletal myogenic program; however, much controversy presently exists as to the precise role of these proteins in this process. This review examines the present controversial findings pertaining to the Rho family's regulation of skeletal myogenesis and extrapolates from both other differentiation systems and recently published data the possible mechanisms by which these proteins function in the myogenic cascade.
authors.affiliation: Alkek Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University System Health Science Center, 2121 W. Holcombe Blvd, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Bryan
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004330:Drosophila / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D008954:Models, Biological; D024510:Muscle Development; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D020764:cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D020830:rac1 GTP-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D020742:rhoA GTP-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D020764:cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein; D020830:rac1 GTP-Binding Protein; D020742:rhoA GTP-Binding Protein