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A new Rac/PAK/GC/cGMP signaling pathway

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Abstract

Guanosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) and small GTPase Rac are critical regulators of cell functions. Recently, Rac has been shown to use its downstream effector p21-activated kinase (PAK) to directly activate transmembrane guanylyl cyclases (GCs). This novel Rac/PAK/GC/cGMP signaling pathway bridges Rac and cGMP, and provides a general molecular mechanism for diverse receptors to regulate physiological functions such as cell migration through elevating the cellular cGMP level.

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Acknowledgments

Research projects on guanylyl cyclases in our laboratory were supported by a grant from the NIH (GM84191).

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  1. Department of Physiology, Cornell University Weill Medical College, New York, NY, 10065, USA

    Dagang Guo, J. Jillian Zhang & Xin-Yun Huang

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  1. Dagang Guo
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  2. J. Jillian Zhang
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  3. Xin-Yun Huang
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Correspondence to Xin-Yun Huang.

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Guo, D., Zhang, J.J. & Huang, XY. A new Rac/PAK/GC/cGMP signaling pathway. Mol Cell Biochem 334, 99–103 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11010-009-0327-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11010-009-0327-7

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