Stephenson Rachel E, Miller Ann L
Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109.
Genesis. 2017 Jan;55(1-2). doi: 10.1002/dvg.22998.
Rho family GTPases are signaling molecules that orchestrate cytoskeletal dynamics in a variety of cellular processes. Because they effect localized changes to the cytoskeleton only in their active (GTP-bound) conformation, the ability to monitor the active state of Rho GTPases in space and time is critical for understanding their function. Here, we summarize popular tools used for live imaging of active Rho GTPases, outlining advantages and drawbacks of these approaches. Additionally, we highlight key features of the Xenopus laevis embryo that make it well-suited for epithelial cell biology and discuss how application of Rho activity reporters in the Xenopus laevis embryo led to the discovery of a novel phenomenon, junctional Rho flares.
Rho家族GTP酶是在多种细胞过程中协调细胞骨架动力学的信号分子。由于它们仅在其活性（GTP结合）构象下对细胞骨架产生局部变化，因此在空间和时间上监测Rho GTP酶活性状态的能力对于理解其功能至关重要。在这里，我们总结了用于活性Rho GTP酶实时成像的常用工具，概述了这些方法的优缺点。此外，我们强调了非洲爪蟾胚胎适合上皮细胞生物学研究的关键特征，并讨论了Rho活性报告基因在非洲爪蟾胚胎中的应用如何导致了一种新现象——连接Rho耀斑的发现。
