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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2014 Feb 19.
Published in final edited form as: J Thromb Haemost. 2013 Jan;11(1):35–46. doi: 10.1111/jth.12051

Figure 2. Rho GTPase activation and regulation.

Figure 2

In their GTP-bound states, the Rho GTPases, including RhoA, Cdc42 and Rac1, associate with specific downstream effectors to regulate cytoskeletal remodeling events and platelet function. RhoA, Cdc42 and Rac1 are cyclically regulated by specific GEF and GAP proteins. GEFs promote GDP to GTP exchange to activate Rho GTPases. GAP proteins accelerate the hydrolysis of Rho-GTP to GDP and effectively inhibit Rho GTPase activation. Rho proteins may also be regulated by RhoGDI proteins, which “grab” and “release” Rho GTPases to sequester their activities [153].