Plant Rab GTPases in membrane trafficking and signalling

Abstract

In the eukaryotic systems the membrane traffi cking inside the cells is indispensible. The membrane traffi cking is a highly regulated process in which various molecular machineries are involved. It involves the vesicle formation, tethering, and fi nally fusion. According to the phylogenetic analysis, these processes are highly conserved among various organisms. This suggests the acquisition of common ancestral lineages by eukaryotes. In addition, to the similarity in components of traffi cking in eukaryotes, each organism has also acquired various specifi c regulatory molecules which ascertain the diversifi cation to membrane traffi cking. In this review we summarize the progress in recent times about the plant-specifi c Rab GTPases in membrane traffi cking events. Rab GTPases are a diverse group which are involved in various processes of membrane traffi cking. Further, there are some reports which suggest Rab GTPases' role in signalling pathways involving light, hormones, biotic, and abiotic stresses. Despite these there is still some inhibition among the scientifi c community to ascribe the latter roles to Rab GTPases with certainty even though the membrane traffi cking events are integrated with signalling.