Rac1 activity changes are associated with neuronal pathology and spatial memory long-term recovery after global cerebral ischemia

CDK5 knockdown in astrocytes provide neuroprotection as a trophic source via Rac1

“…cognitive dysfunction, which is prevented by ROCK inhibition (CastroAlvarez et al, 2011). In contrast, the role of Rac1 in astrocytes is associated not only with stellate morphology but also with survival (Gutiérrez- Vargas et al, 2010;Posada-Duque et al, 2013). A study conducted on glioma cells found that Rac1 suppression induced apoptosis, but primary cultures of human astrocytes did not show the same effect (Senger et al, 2002).…”

Non-prenylatable, cytosolic Rac1 alters neurite outgrowth while retaining the ability to be activated

“…The consequences of these potential cytosolic signaling pathways may be important in regulating normal neuronal development and plasticity. Furthermore, aberrant localization of Rac1 might contribute to several neurological disorders, including ischemia, degenerative disorders and plasticity [6,10,16]. Finally, side effects from highly prescribed statins may be attributable to altered localization of geranylgeranylated proteins, indicating a need for more study in this area.…”

“…Rac1 dysfunction is implicated in several human neurological disorders, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis [7], ischemic stroke [8] and Alzheimer's disease [9]. For instance, aberrant Rac1 activity promotes degeneration in post-ischemic mice and inhibits recovery of spatial memory [10]. Therefore, it is imperative to understand the mechanisms regulating Rac1 activation to facilitate the development of effective therapies for disorders associated with altered Rac1 signaling.…”

Rac1 and Cdc42 Play Important Roles in Arsenic Neurotoxicity in Primary Cultured Rat Cerebellar Astrocytes

“…Cdc42 has proven to play an important role in inducing cell apoptosis. However, apoptosis induced by Rac1 have different results in different studies [41][42][43]. The involvement of Rho GTPases in cancer development has recently attracted increasing attention [14].…”