title: Turning ON the switch--RhoGEFs in plants.
abstract: Plant ROPs (or RACs) are Ras-related, small GTP-binding proteins that function as molecular switches in numerous signaling cascades. ROPs (RACs) cycle between a GDP-bound, inactive state and a GTP-bound, active state. Activation requires guanine-nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs), which were not identified in plants until recently. Alfred Wittinghofer and co-workers' description of a group of plant-specific RhoGEFs opens the way for the elucidation of ROP signaling cascades from membrane receptors to responses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel.
authors.forename: Keren
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shichrur
authors.forename: Shaul
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yalovsky
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000502:physiology; D020662:Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D018521:Plant Physiological Phenomena; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D020662:Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors; D010940:Plant Proteins; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins