... ion channel Piezo1 on the migration of the neural crest, a multipotent embryonic cell population. We identify that Piezo1 is required for the migration of Xenopus cephalic neural crest. We show that loss of Piezo1 promotes focal adhesion turnover and cytoskeletal dynamics by controlling Rac1 activity...

..., followed by their correct spacing and planar orientation. Here, we report a novel role for ELMO-DOCK1, which is a bipartite guanine nucleotide exchange factor complex for the small GTPase Rac1, and for the membrane-cytoskeletal linker Ezrin, in regulating centriole/basal body migration, docking and spacing...

... guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) Mbc plays a fundamental role in the FCMs, where it functions to activate Rac1, but is not required in the founder cells for fusion. Mbc, active Rac1 and F-actin foci are highly enriched in the FCMs, where they localize to the Sns:Kirre junction. Furthermore, Mbc...

... is that a residual amount of RhoA remaining after Dsh inhibition is sufficient to maintain the normal Rac level. Cell migration Neural crest Directionality Persistence Syndecan-4 Non-canonical Wnt signaling PCP RhoA Rac1 Considerable progress has been made recently in understanding cell...

...-specific kinase, a component of the agrin receptor complex, abolished these effects of agrin. Agrin-induced repulsive growth-cone turning requires the activity of PI3-kinase and Ca 2+ signaling. In addition, the expression of dominant-negative Rac1 inhibited neurite extension and blocked agrin-mediated...

... cells. Upon ectopic expression in axial cells, has2 causes the formation of supernumerary lamellipodia and a blockage of axis extension. Epistasis analyses with constitutively active and dominant-negative versions of the small GTPase Rac1 suggest that HA acts by Rac1 activation, rather than...

...-of-function mutations increased the number of higher-order dendritic branches. Conversely, overexpression of Fmr1 in DA neurons dramatically decreased dendritic branching. In dissecting the mechanisms underlying Fmr1 function in dendrite development, we found that the mRNA encoding small GTPase Rac1...

.... The nature of the instructions and their intracellular processing remain largely undefined. In this report, we have used genetic mosaic analysis to examine the role of Rac1 GTPase-mediated signaling in controlling differentiation. A constitutively active mutation (Rac1Leu61) or a dominant negative mutation...

... Drosophila Nerve Axon guidance Drac1 Rac1 Motor axon Muscle In order to reach appropriate target tissues in the developing embryo, neuronal growth cones must navigate through a complex cellular terrain in response to various guidance cues. This process requires an interplay between information...