Guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) are proteins or protein domains that activate monomeric GTPases by stimulating the release of guanosine diphosphate (GDP) to allow binding of guanosine triphosphate (GTP). A variety of unrelated structural domains have been shown to exhibit guanine nucleotide exchange activity. Some GEFs can activate multiple GTPases while others are specific to a single GTPase.
The Rho family of GTPases is a family of small signaling G proteins, and is a subfamily of the Ras superfamily. The members of the Rho GTPase family have been shown to regulate many aspects of intracellular actin dynamics, and are found in all eukaryotic kingdoms, including yeasts and some plants. Three members of the family have been studied in detail: Cdc42, Rac1, and RhoA. All G proteins are "molecular switches", and Rho proteins play a role in organelle development, cytoskeletal dynamics, cell movement, and other common cellular functions.
G12/G13 alpha subunits are alpha subunits of heterotrimeric G proteins that link cell surface G protein-coupled receptors primarily to guanine nucleotide exchange factors for the Rho small GTPases to regulate the actin cytoskeleton. Together, these two proteins comprise one of the four classes of G protein alpha subunits. G protein alpha subunits bind to guanine nucleotides and function in a regulatory cycle, and are active when bound to GTP but inactive and associated with the G beta-gamma complex when bound to GDP. G12/G13 are not targets of pertussis toxin or cholera toxin, as are other classes of G protein alpha subunits.
FYVE, RhoGEF and PH domain-containing protein 1 (FGD1) also known as faciogenital dysplasia 1 protein (FGDY), zinc finger FYVE domain-containing protein 3 (ZFYVE3), or Rho/Rac guanine nucleotide exchange factor FGD1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the FGD1 gene that lies on the X chromosome. Orthologs of the FGD1 gene are found in dog, cow, mouse, rat, and zebrafish, and also budding yeast and C. elegans. It is a member of the FYVE, RhoGEF and PH domain containing family.
Transforming protein RhoA, also known as Ras homolog family member A (RhoA), is a small GTPase protein in the Rho family of GTPases that in humans is encoded by the RHOA gene. While the effects of RhoA activity are not all well known, it is primarily associated with cytoskeleton regulation, mostly actin stress fibers formation and actomyosin contractility. It acts upon several effectors. Among them, ROCK1 and DIAPH1 are the best described. RhoA, and the other Rho GTPases, are part of a larger family of related proteins known as the Ras superfamily, a family of proteins involved in the regulation and timing of cell division. RhoA is one of the oldest Rho GTPases, with homologues present in the genomes since 1.5 billion years. As a consequence, RhoA is somehow involved in many cellular processes which emerged throughout evolution. RhoA specifically is regarded as a prominent regulatory factor in other functions such as the regulation of cytoskeletal dynamics, transcription, cell cycle progression and cell transformation.
RhoGEF domain describes two distinct structural domains with guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) activity to regulate small GTPases in the Rho family. Rho small GTPases are inactive when bound to GDP but active when bound to GTP; RhoGEF domains in proteins are able to promote GDP release and GTP binding to activate specific Rho family members, including RhoA, Rac1 and Cdc42.
A-kinase anchor protein 13 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the AKAP13 gene. This protein is also called AKAP-Lbc because it encodes the lymphocyte blast crisis (Lbc) oncogene, and ARHGEF13/RhoGEF13 because it contains a guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) domain for the RhoA small GTP-binding protein.
Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor 6 is a protein that, in humans, is encoded by the ARHGEF6 gene.
Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor 1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ARHGEF1 gene. This protein is also called RhoGEF1 or p115-RhoGEF.
Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor 11 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ARHGEF11 gene. This protein is also called RhoGEF11 or PDZ-RhoGEF.
Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor 12 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ARHGEF12 gene. This protein is also called RhoGEF12 or Leukemia-associated Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor (LARG).
RhoG is a small monomeric GTP-binding protein, and is an important component of many intracellular signalling pathways. It is a member of the Rac subfamily of the Rho family of small G proteins and is encoded by the gene RHOG.
Triple functional domain protein is a protein that in humans is encoded by the TRIO gene.
Guanine nucleotide exchange factor VAV3 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the VAV3 gene.
Rap guanine nucleotide exchange factor 2 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the RAPGEF2 gene.
Guanine nucleotide exchange factor DBS is a protein that in humans is encoded by the MCF2L gene.
Guanine nucleotide-binding protein subunit alpha-13 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the GNA13 gene.
Guanine nucleotide-binding protein subunit alpha-12 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the GNA12 gene.
Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor 9 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ARHGEF9 gene.
The G beta-gamma complex (Gβγ) is a tightly bound dimeric protein complex, composed of one Gβ and one Gγ subunit, and is a component of heterotrimeric G proteins. Heterotrimeric G proteins, also called guanosine nucleotide-binding proteins, consist of three subunits, called alpha, beta, and gamma subunits, or Gα, Gβ, and Gγ. When a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) is activated, Gα dissociates from Gβγ, allowing both subunits to perform their respective downstream signaling effects. One of the major functions of Gβγ is the inhibition of the Gα subunit.
