Plant Rab GTPases in Membrane Trafficking and Signalling

Abstract

In the eukaryotic systems the membrane trafficking inside the cells is indispensible. The membrane trafficking is a highly regulated process in which various molecular machineries are involved. It involves the vesicle formation, tethering, and finally fusion. According to the phylogenetic analysis, these processes are highly conserved among various organisms. This suggests the acquisition of common ancestral lineages by eukaryotes. In addition, to the similarity in components of trafficking in eukaryotes, each organism has also acquired various specific regulatory molecules which ascertain the diversification to membrane trafficking. In this review we summarize the progress in recent times about the plant-specific Rab GTPases in membrane trafficking events. Rab GTPases are a diverse group which are involved in various processes of membrane trafficking. Further, there are some reports which suggest Rab GTPases’ role in signalling pathways involving light, hormones, biotic, and abiotic stresses. Despite these there is still some inhibition among the scientific community to ascribe the latter roles to Rab GTPases with certainty even though the membrane trafficking events are integrated with signalling.