title: Regulating polarity by directing traffic: Cdc42 prevents adherens junctions from crumblin' aPart.
abstract: The GTPase Cdc42 was among the original genes identified with roles in cell polarity, and interest in its cellular roles from yeast to humans remains high. Cdc42 is a well-known regulator of the actin cytoskeleton, but also plays important roles in vesicular trafficking. In this issue, Harris and Tepass (Harris, K.P, and U. Tepass. 2008. J. Cell. Biol. 183:1129-1143) provide new insights into how Cdc42 and Par proteins work together to modulate cell adhesion and polarity during embryonic morphogenesis by regulating the traffic of key cell junction proteins.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
authors.forename: Mara C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Duncan
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peifer
mesh_terms: D022005:Adherens Junctions / Q000201:enzymology*; D000818:Animals; D016764:Cell Polarity; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology / Q000201:enzymology*; D004705:Endocytosis; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008954:Models, Biological; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes / Q000378:metabolism; D021381:Protein Transport
chemical_list: C090145:Cdc42 protein, Drosophila; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins