title: CZH proteins: a new family of Rho-GEFs.
abstract: The Rho family of small GTPases are important regulators of multiple cellular activities and, most notably, reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton. Dbl-homology (DH)-domain-containing proteins are the classical guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) responsible for activation of Rho GTPases. However, members of a newly discovered family can also act as Rho-GEFs. These CZH proteins include: CDM (Ced-5, Dock180 and Myoblast city) proteins, which activate Rac; and zizimin proteins, which activate Cdc42. The family contains 11 mammalian proteins and has members in many other eukaryotes. The GEF activity is carried out by a novel, DH-unrelated domain named the DOCKER, CZH2 or DHR2 domain. CZH proteins have been implicated in cell migration, phagocytosis of apoptotic cells, T-cell activation and neurite outgrowth, and probably arose relatively early in eukaryotic evolution.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA. nm3h@virginia.edu
authors.forename: Nahum
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Meller
authors.forename: Sylvain
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Merlot
authors.forename: Chittibabu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Guda
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D020662:Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D005810:Multigene Family; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D020744:rac GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C111579:CED-5 protein, C elegans; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; C099818:DOCK1 protein, human; C466321:DOCK9 protein, human; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D020662:Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; C107441:mbc protein, Drosophila; D020744:rac GTP-Binding Proteins