title: The BRAG/IQSec family of Arf GEFs.
abstract: The IQSec/BRAG proteins are a subfamily of Arf-nucleotide exchange factors. Since their discovery almost 15 y ago, the BRAGs have been reported to be involved in diverse physiological processes from myoblast fusion, neuronal pathfinding and angiogenesis, to pathophysiological processes including X-linked intellectual disability and tumor metastasis. In this review we will address how, in each of these situations, the BRAGs are thought to regulate the surface levels of adhesive and signaling receptors. While in most cases BRAGs are thought to enhance the endocytosis of these receptors, how they achieve this remains unclear. Similarly, while all 3 BRAG proteins contain calmodulin-binding IQ motifs, little is known about how their activities might be regulated by calcium. These are some of the questions that are likely to form the basis of future research.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Cell Biology , University of Virginia Health System , Charlottesville , VA , USA.
authors.forename: Ryan S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: D'Souza
authors.affiliation: a Department of Cell Biology , University of Virginia Health System , Charlottesville , VA , USA.
authors.forename: James E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Casanova
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002147:Calmodulin / Q000378:metabolism; D004705:Endocytosis; D020662:Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D032446:Myoblasts / Q000502:physiology*; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D011485:Protein Binding; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D002147:Calmodulin; D020662:Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors; D002118:Calcium
keywords: AMPA-R; Arf5; Arf6; IQSec/BRAG; angiogenesis; cadherin; endocytosis; integrin; metastasis