Regulating polarity by directing traffic: Cdc42 prevents adherens junctions from crumblin' aPart.
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.
Duncan
Mara C
MC
Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
Peifer
Mark
M
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
C090145:Cdc42 protein, Drosophila; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins