Determination of Rab5 activity in the cell by effector pull-down assay

Methods Mol Biol. 2015:1298:259-70. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4939-2569-8_22.

Abstract

Rab5 targets to early endosomes and is a master regulator of early endosome fusion and endocytosis in all eukaryotic cells. Like other GTPases, Rab5 functions as a molecular switch by alternating between GTP-bound and GDP-bound forms, with the former being biologically active via interactions with multiple effector proteins. Thus the Rab5-GTP level in the cell reflects Rab5 activity in promoting endosome fusion and endocytosis and is indicative of cellular endocytic activity. In this chapter, we describe a Rab5 activity assay by using GST fusion proteins with the Rab5 effectors such as Rabaptin-5, Rabenosyn-5, and EEA1 that specifically bind to GTP-bound Rab5. We compare the efficiencies of the three GST fusion proteins in the pull-down of mammalian and fungal Rab5 proteins.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biological Assay / methods*
  • Cell Line
  • Cricetinae
  • Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel
  • Humans
  • Immunoblotting
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / isolation & purification
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / metabolism
  • Vesicular Transport Proteins / metabolism
  • rab5 GTP-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • rab5 GTP-Binding Proteins / isolation & purification
  • rab5 GTP-Binding Proteins / metabolism*

Substances

  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Vesicular Transport Proteins
  • rab5 GTP-Binding Proteins