Rab GTPase prenylation hierarchy and its potential role in choroideremia disease

PLoS One. 2013 Dec 16;8(12):e81758. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0081758. eCollection 2013.

Abstract

Protein prenylation is a widespread post-translational modification in eukaryotes that plays a crucial role in membrane targeting and signal transduction. RabGTPases is the largest group of post-translationally C-terminally geranylgeranylated. All Rabs are processed by Rab geranylgeranyl-transferase and Rab escort protein (REP). Human genetic defects resulting in the loss one of two REP isoforms REP-1, lead to underprenylation of RabGTPases that manifests in retinal degradation and blindness known as choroideremia. In this study we used a combination of microinjections and chemo-enzymatic tagging to establish whether Rab GTPases are prenylated and delivered to their target cellular membranes with the same rate. We demonstrate that although all tested Rab GTPases display the same rate of membrane delivery, the extent of Rab prenylation in 5 hour time window vary by more than an order of magnitude. We found that Rab27a, Rab27b, Rab38 and Rab42 display the slowest prenylation in vivo and in the cell. Our work points to possible contribution of Rab38 to the emergence of choroideremia in addition to Rab27a and Rab27b.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Choroideremia / genetics
  • Choroideremia / metabolism*
  • Escherichia coli
  • Humans
  • Prenylation
  • Time Factors
  • rab GTP-Binding Proteins / metabolism*

Substances

  • rab GTP-Binding Proteins

Grants and funding

This work was supported in part by Australian Research Counsel grant DP1094080, FT0991611, and Australian National Health and Medical Research Counsel project grant 569652 to KA. Access to proteomic infrastructure was funded by Bioplatforms Australia and the Queensland State Government. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.