G Proteins and Axon Growth

This article highlights recent studies into the roles of the G proteins in two processes required for axon growth: growth cone motility and vesicular transport. Heterotrimeric G proteins are involved in growth cone motility, but their precise roles remain controversial. The small GTP-binding proteins are clearly established regulators of the actin cytoskeleton in fibroblasts, and their functions are just beginning to be explored in the growth cone. Members of the rab subfamily of small GTP-binding proteins have been shown to regulate vesicular transport in every cell type examined thus far, including neurons.