Rab35 regulates neurite outgrowth and cell shape

Chevallier, Julien; Koop, Charles; Srivastava, Archana; Petrie, Ryan J.; Lamarche-Vane, Nathalie; Presley, John F.

doi:10.1016/j.febslet.2009.03.012

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Volume 583, Issue 7 , Pages 1096-1101, 2 April 2009

Rab35 regulates neurite outgrowth and cell shape

Edited by Lukas Huber

Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 2B2

Received 27 January 2009; received in revised form 3 March 2009; accepted 6 March 2009. published online 16 March 2009.

Abstract

Recent studies have identified Rab35 in the endocytic pathway and as a regulator of cytokinesis; however its molecular mechanisms are currently unknown. Here, we find that Rab35 colocalizes with actin filaments and with Cdc42, Rac1 and RhoA, and that Rab35 can activate Cdc42 both in vivo and in vitro. We find activated Rab35 stimulates neurite outgrowth in PC12 and N1E-115 cells via a Cdc42-dependent pathway and that siRNA knockdown of Rab35 activity abolishes neurite outgrowth in these cell lines. We conclude that one function of Rab35 is to regulate Rho-family GTPases and that this role has consequences for neurite outgrowth.