Rho GTPase signaling complexes in cell migration and invasion

Abstract

Cell migration is dependent on the dynamic formation and disassembly of actin filament–based structures, including lamellipodia, filopodia, invadopodia, and membrane blebs, as well as on cell–cell and cell–extracellular matrix adhesions. These processes all involve Rho family small guanosine triphosphatases (GTPases), which are regulated by the opposing actions of guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) and GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs). Rho GTPase activity needs to be precisely tuned at distinct cellular locations to enable cells to move in response to different environments and stimuli. In this review, we focus on the ability of RhoGEFs and RhoGAPs to form complexes with diverse binding partners, and describe how this influences their ability to control localized GTPase activity in the context of migration and invasion.