Center for Molecular Imaging, Department of Radiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA.
Cells. 2020 Sep 25;9(10):2167. doi: 10.3390/cells9102167.
Rho GTPases, a family of the Ras GTPase superfamily, are key regulators of the actin cytoskeleton. They were originally thought to primarily affect cell migration and invasion; however, recent advances in our understanding of the biology and function of Rho GTPases have demonstrated their diverse roles within the cell, including membrane trafficking, gene transcription, migration, invasion, adhesion, survival and growth. As these processes are critically involved in cancer initiation, metastasis and therapeutic responses, it is not surprising that studies have demonstrated important roles of Rho GTPases in cancer. Although the majority of data indicates an oncogenic role of Rho GTPases, tumor suppressor functions of Rho GTPases have also been revealed, suggesting a context and cell-type specific function for Rho GTPases in cancer. This review aims to summarize recent progresses in our understanding of the regulation and functions of Rho GTPases, specifically in the context of breast cancer. The potential of Rho GTPases as therapeutic targets and prognostic tools for breast cancer patients are also discussed.
Rho GTPases 是 Ras GTPase 超家族的一个家族，是肌动蛋白细胞骨架的关键调节因子。它们最初被认为主要影响细胞迁移和侵袭；然而，我们对 Rho GTPases 的生物学和功能的理解的最新进展表明，它们在细胞内具有多种作用，包括膜运输、基因转录、迁移、侵袭、黏附、存活和生长。由于这些过程在癌症的发生、转移和治疗反应中起着至关重要的作用，因此 Rho GTPases 在癌症中的重要作用并不令人惊讶。尽管大多数数据表明 Rho GTPases 具有致癌作用，但也揭示了 Rho GTPases 的肿瘤抑制功能，这表明 Rho GTPases 在癌症中具有上下文和细胞类型特异性的功能。本综述旨在总结我们对 Rho GTPases 调节和功能的最新理解，特别是在乳腺癌的背景下。还讨论了 Rho GTPases 作为乳腺癌患者治疗靶点和预后工具的潜力。
