Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, Science Park of the UPV/EHU, 48940 Leioa, Spain.
Department of Genetics, Physical Anthropology and Animal Physiology, University of Basque Country UPV/EHU, 48940 Leioa, Spain.
Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Apr 23;22(9):4425. doi: 10.3390/ijms22094425.
Small guanosine triphosphatases (GTPases) of the Rab and Arf families are key regulators of vesicle formation and membrane trafficking. Membrane transport plays an important role in the central nervous system. In this regard, neurons require a constant flow of membranes for the correct distribution of receptors, for the precise composition of proteins and organelles in dendrites and axons, for the continuous exocytosis/endocytosis of synaptic vesicles and for the elimination of dysfunctional proteins. Thus, it is not surprising that Rab and Arf GTPases have been associated with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Both pathologies share characteristics such as the presence of protein aggregates and/or the fragmentation of the Golgi apparatus, hallmarks that have been related to both Rab and Arf GTPases functions. Despite their relationship with neurodegenerative disorders, very few studies have focused on the role of these GTPases in the pathogenesis of neurodegeneration. In this review, we summarize their importance in the onset and progression of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, as well as their emergence as potential therapeutical targets for neurodegeneration.
小 G 蛋白三磷酸鸟苷酶(GTPases)家族中的 Rab 和 Arf 家族是囊泡形成和膜运输的关键调节剂。膜转运在中枢神经系统中起着重要作用。在这方面,神经元需要不断的膜流来正确分布受体,使树突和轴突中的蛋白质和细胞器具有精确的组成,进行突触囊泡的持续胞吐/胞吞作用,并消除功能失调的蛋白质。因此,Rab 和 Arf GTPases 与阿尔茨海默病和帕金森病等神经退行性疾病有关并不奇怪。这两种病理学都具有蛋白质聚集体和/或高尔基体碎片化的特征,这些特征与 Rab 和 Arf GTPases 的功能有关。尽管它们与神经退行性疾病有关,但很少有研究关注这些 GTPases 在神经退行性变发病机制中的作用。在这篇综述中,我们总结了它们在阿尔茨海默病和帕金森病发病和进展中的重要性,以及它们作为神经退行性变潜在治疗靶点的出现。