Rac GTPases in Hematological Malignancies

• Main Authors: Valerie Durand-Onaylı, Theresa Haslauer, Andrea Härzschel, Tanja Nicole Hartmann
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2018-12-01
• Series: International Journal of Molecular Sciences
• Subjects: Rac GTPases; leukemia; lymphoma; microenvironment; cancer; migration; survival; proliferation
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/19/12/4041

Emerging evidence suggests that crosstalk between hematologic tumor cells and the tumor microenvironment contributes to leukemia and lymphoma cell migration, survival, and proliferation. The supportive tumor cell-microenvironment interactions and the resulting cellular processes require adaptations and modulations of the cytoskeleton. The Rac subfamily of the Rho family GTPases includes key regulators of the cytoskeleton, with essential functions in both normal and transformed leukocytes. Rac proteins function downstream of receptor tyrosine kinases, chemokine receptors, and integrins, orchestrating a multitude of signals arising from the microenvironment. As such, it is not surprising that deregulation of Rac expression and activation plays a role in the development and progression of hematological malignancies. In this review, we will give an overview of the specific contribution of the deregulation of Rac GTPases in hematologic malignancies.