Abstract
In eukaryotic cells membrane compartments are connected through cargo-selective vesicle trafficking mediating the exchange of components between different organelles. This exchange is essential to maintain their structural integrity and specific composition. A fundamental regulatory step in vesicle formation is the activation of small ARF GTPases by exchanging their bound GDP for GTP, which is a prerequisite for ARF-mediated effector recruitment. Activation of ARFs is catalyzed by the characteristic SEC7 domain of guanine nucleotide exchange factors (ARF-GEFs), which are classified according to their additional protein domains.The only group of ARF-GEFs conserved in mammals, yeast and plants are the large ARF-GEFs. This review summarizes recent findings on the function of large ARF-GEFs, and the use of the inhibitor Brefeldin A as a potent tool in understanding membrane trafficking. Furthermore we highlight common themes and apparent differences in large ARF-GEF function between eukaryotic kingdoms.
MeSH terms
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ADP-Ribosylation Factors / chemistry
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ADP-Ribosylation Factors / classification
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ADP-Ribosylation Factors / physiology*
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Animals
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Arabidopsis Proteins / physiology
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Biological Transport / drug effects
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Biological Transport / physiology*
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Brefeldin A / pharmacology
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Cell Compartmentation / drug effects
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Cell Compartmentation / physiology*
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Cell Membrane / drug effects
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Cell Membrane / enzymology
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Cell Membrane / physiology*
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Enzyme Activation
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Eukaryotic Cells / enzymology
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Eukaryotic Cells / metabolism
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Eukaryotic Cells / ultrastructure
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Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors / chemistry
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Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors / classification
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Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors / physiology*
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Guanosine Diphosphate / physiology
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Guanosine Triphosphate / physiology
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Host-Pathogen Interactions
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Humans
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Membrane Proteins / metabolism
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Plant Proteins / physiology
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Protein Interaction Mapping
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Protein Structure, Tertiary
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Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / physiology
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Transport Vesicles / drug effects
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Transport Vesicles / enzymology
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Transport Vesicles / physiology*
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Transport Vesicles / ultrastructure
Substances
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Arabidopsis Proteins
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Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors
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Membrane Proteins
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Plant Proteins
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Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins
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Guanosine Diphosphate
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Brefeldin A
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Guanosine Triphosphate
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ADP-Ribosylation Factors