Rho GTPase activating protein 25 and related proteins Pleckstrin homology (PH) domain
RhoGAP25 (also called ArhGap25) like other RhoGaps are involved in cell polarity, cell morphology and cytoskeletal organization. They act as GTPase activators for the Rac-type GTPases by converting them to an inactive GDP-bound state and control actin remodeling by inactivating Rac downstream of Rho leading to suppress leading edge protrusion and promotes cell retraction to achieve cellular polarity and are able to suppress RAC1 and CDC42 activity in vitro. Overexpression of these proteins induces cell rounding with partial or complete disruption of actin stress fibers and formation of membrane ruffles, lamellipodia, and filopodia. This hierarchy contains RhoGAP22, RhoGAP24, and RhoGAP25. Members here contain an N-terminal PH domain followed by a RhoGAP domain and either a BAR or TATA Binding Protein (TBP) Associated Factor 4 (TAF4) domain. PH domains have diverse functions, but in general are involved in targeting proteins to the appropriate cellular location or in the interaction with a binding partner. They share little sequence conservation, but all have a common fold, which is electrostatically polarized. Less than 10% of PH domains bind phosphoinositide phosphates (PIPs) with high affinity and specificity. PH domains are distinguished from other PIP-binding domains by their specific high-affinity binding to PIPs with two vicinal phosphate groups: PtdIns(3,4)P2, PtdIns(4,5)P2 or PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 which results in targeting some PH domain proteins to the plasma membrane. A few display strong specificity in lipid binding. Any specificity is usually determined by loop regions or insertions in the N-terminus of the domain, which are not conserved across all PH domains. PH domains are found in cellular signaling proteins such as serine/threonine kinase, tyrosine kinases, regulators of G-proteins, endocytotic GTPases, adaptors, as well as cytoskeletal associated molecules and in lipid associated enzymes.
Jiyao W et al.(2023). "The conserved domain database in 2023.",