title: Rab proteins: the key regulators of intracellular vesicle transport.
abstract: Vesicular/membrane trafficking essentially regulates the compartmentalization and abundance of proteins within the cells and contributes in many signalling pathways. This membrane transport in eukaryotic cells is a complex process regulated by a large and diverse array of proteins. A large group of monomeric small GTPases; the Rabs are essential components of this membrane trafficking route. Most of the Rabs are ubiquitously expressed proteins and have been implicated in vesicle formation, vesicle motility/delivery along cytoskeleton elements and docking/fusion at target membranes through the recruitment of effectors. Functional impairments of Rabs affecting transport pathways manifest different diseases. Rab functions are accompanied by cyclical activation and inactivation of GTP-bound and GDP-bound forms between the cytosol and membranes which is regulated by upstream regulators. Rab proteins are characterized by their distinct sub-cellular localization and regulate a wide variety of endocytic, transcytic and exocytic transport pathways. Mutations of Rabs affect cell growth, motility and other biological processes.
authors.affiliation: Cell and Developmental Biology Unit, Department of Zoology, The University of Burdwan, Golapbag 713104, India.
authors.forename: Tanmay
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bhuin
authors.affiliation: Cytogenetics Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India. Electronic address: jkroy@bhu.ac.in.
authors.forename: Jagat Kumar
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Roy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport; D006801:Humans; D015398:Signal Transduction; D022161:Transport Vesicles / Q000502:physiology*; D020691:rab GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D020691:rab GTP-Binding Proteins
keywords: Cell growth; Cyclical activation; Eukaryotic cells; Membrane trafficking; Transport pathways