title: Rho kinase in the regulation of cell death and survival.
abstract: Rho kinase (ROCK) belongs to a family of serine/threonine kinases that are activated via interaction with Rho GTPases. ROCK is involved in a wide range of fundamental cellular functions, such as contraction, adhesion, migration, and proliferation. Recent studies have shown that ROCK plays an important role in the regulation of apoptosis in various cell types and animal disease models. Two ROCK isoforms, ROCK1 and ROCK2, are assumed to be function redundant, this based largely on kinase construct overexpression and chemical inhibitors (Y27632 and fasudil) which inhibit both ROCK1 and ROCK2. Gene targeting and RNA interference approaches allow further dissection of distinct cellular, physiological, and patho-physiological functions of the two ROCK isoforms. This review, based on recent molecular, cellular, and animal studies, focuses on the current understanding of ROCK signaling in the regulation of apoptosis and highlights new findings from recently generated ROCK-deficient mice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University, School of Medicine, R4 building, Room 370, 1044 West Walnut Str, Indianapolis, IN 46202-5225, USA.
authors.forename: Jianjian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wei
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D016923:Cell Death; D002470:Cell Survival; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008954:Models, Biological; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D054460:rho-Associated Kinases
chemical_list: D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; C515854:Rock1 protein, mouse; C515855:Rock2 protein, mouse; D054460:rho-Associated Kinases