Fig. 1.

Rab GTPases are molecular switches for endocytic trafficking. Rab4 medicates fast endocytic recycling directly from the early endosome to the plasma membrane. Rab5, which is localized to the early endosome, mediates endosomal fusion of clathrin-coated vesicles and the maturation of early endosomes. Rab11 and Rab35 regulate the slow endocytic recycling (that delivers the cargo back to the cell surface) through recycling endosomes. Rab7 modulates the transport from late endosomes to lysosomes. Rab9 functions in the pathway from late endosomes to the Golgi apparatus. Rab10 is localized to sorting endosomes and operates in the route from sorting endosomes to recycling endosomes. RE: early endosome; SE: sorting endosome; RE: recycling endosome; LE: late endosome; TGN: trans-Golgi network; ER: endoplasmic reticulum.