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P-Rex2, a new guanine-nucleotide exchange factor for Rac.

FEBS letters (2004-08-12)
Sarah Donald, Kirsti Hill, Charlotte Lecureuil, Romain Barnouin, Sonja Krugmann, W John Coadwell, Simon R Andrews, Simon A Walker, Phillip T Hawkins, Len R Stephens, Heidi C E Welch
PMID15304343
ABSTRACT

We have identified a new guanine-nucleotide exchange factor, P-Rex2, and cloned it from human skeletal muscle and brain libraries. It has widespread tissue distribution but is not expressed in neutrophils. P-Rex2 is a 183 kDa protein that activates the small GTPase Rac and is regulated by phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-trisphosphate and the beta gamma subunits of heterotrimeric G proteins in vitro and in vivo. P-Rex2 has structure, activity and regulatory properties similar to P-Rex1 but has divergent tissue distribution, as P-Rex1 is mainly expressed in neutrophils. Together, they form an enzyme family capable of mediating Rac signalling downstream of G protein-coupled receptors and phosphoinositide 3-kinase.