Rac 1

Abstract

The Rac1 small GTPase is a key regulator of actomyosin structure and dynamics and plays a pivotal role in a variety of cellular processes including cell morphology, gene transcription, cell cycle progression, and cell adhesion. Because Rac1 is required for transformation by activated forms of Ras, and, when mutated, is itself a driver of malignant melanoma and perhaps other cancers, key components of the Rac1 signaling apparatus are attracting interest as potential therapeutic targets. While Rac1 itself has proven challenging to target directly, several Rac1 effector proteins, including p21-activated kinases and phosphatidyl inositol-3 kinase beta, show promise as therapeutic targets in Rac1-dependent cancer cells.