Rab GTPases: Central Coordinators of Membrane Trafficking in Cancer.

Hongyuan Jin,Shuo Yang,Bowen Li,Shilei Tang,Qin Fan,Shibo Wei,Bo Wu,Liang Yang,Hangyu Li,Jingang Liu,Yuanxin Tang,Mingyao Huang,Xueqiang Peng,Xinyu Li

doi:10.3389/fcell.2021.648384

Abstract

Tumor progression involves invasion, migration, metabolism, autophagy, exosome secretion, and drug resistance. Cargos transported by membrane vesicle trafficking underlie all of these processes. Rab GTPases, which, through coordinated and dynamic intracellular membrane trafficking alongside cytoskeletal pathways, determine the maintenance of homeostasis and a series of cellular functions. The mechanism of vesicle movement regulated by Rab GTPases plays essential roles in cancers. Therefore, targeting Rab GTPases to adjust membrane trafficking has the potential to become a novel way to adjust cancer treatment. In this review, we describe the characteristics of Rab GTPases; in particular, we discuss the role of their activation in the regulation of membrane transport and provide examples of Rab GTPases regulating membrane transport in tumor progression. Finally, we discuss the clinical implications and the potential as a cancer therapeutic target of Rab GTPases.

Highlights

Many studies have strongly supported the notion that the dysregulation of invasion, migration, metabolism, autophagy, exosome secretion and drug resistance mediate cancer progression, few studies have focused on intracellular membrane trafficking, which regulates these processes (Prasad et al, 2016)
Changes in Rab GTPase expression are associated with invasion, migration, metabolism, autophagy, exosome secretion and drug resistance in cancer (Table 1)
Rab32 knockdown increases lysosome biogenesis in hepatocellular carcinoma and cervical cancer and reduces the association of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway proteins with lysosomes, which suggests that Rab32 regulates lysosomal mTORC1 trafficking and thereby controls metabolism (Drizyte-Miller et al, 2020)

Summary

Introduction

Many studies have strongly supported the notion that the dysregulation of invasion, migration, metabolism, autophagy, exosome secretion and drug resistance mediate cancer progression, few studies have focused on intracellular membrane trafficking, which regulates these processes (Prasad et al, 2016). Rab GTPases in Cancer cancer progression and enable invasion, migration, metabolism, autophagy, exosome secretion and drug resistance. Changes in Rab GTPase expression are associated with invasion, migration, metabolism, autophagy, exosome secretion and drug resistance in cancer (Table 1).

Results

Conclusion