title: DENN domain proteins: regulators of Rab GTPases.
abstract: The DENN domain is a common, evolutionarily ancient, and conserved protein module, yet it has gone largely unstudied; until recently, little was known regarding its functional roles. New studies reveal that various DENN domains interact directly with members of the Rab family of small GTPases and that DENN domains function enzymatically as Rab-specific guanine nucleotide exchange factors. Thus, DENN domain proteins appear to be generalized regulators of Rab function. Study of these proteins will provide new insights into Rab-mediated membrane trafficking pathways.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B4, Canada.
authors.forename: Andrea L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Marat
authors.forename: Hatem
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dokainish
authors.forename: Peter S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: McPherson
mesh_terms: D020816:Amino Acid Motifs; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D004705:Endocytosis; D015894:Genome, Human; D020662:Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011485:Protein Binding; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D015398:Signal Transduction; D020691:rab GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D020662:Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors; D020691:rab GTP-Binding Proteins