title: Role of Rac-GTPase and reactive oxygen species in cardiac differentiation of stem cells.
abstract: In the life of a cell, there is a constant balance between generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and activity of antioxidant defense mechanisms. Besides the damaging effects of ROS on many biomolecules, ROS also play a significant role in signal transduction pathways of growth factors suggesting a role of oxidative species in cell differentiation. ROS have recently been involved in the process of cardiac differentiation of stem cells. Several molecular mechanisms, including ones mediated by the GTPase Rac that underlie the regulatory role of ROS in the process of stem cell differentiation toward a cardiac lineage, are reviewed.
authors.affiliation: CRBM, CNRS FRE 2593, Montpellier, France. michel.puceat@crbm.cnrs.fr
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Puceat
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D006321:Heart / Q000196:embryology; D006801:Humans; D009206:Myocardium / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D020744:rac GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D020744:rac GTP-Binding Proteins