R-Ras GTPases in the regulation of the Wnt Planar Cell Polarity pathway

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The ability of cells to move to different parts of the body plays a critical role during development of the embryo and in many cellular processes after birth. Tumour cells can hijack this process and use it to spread and invade other organs.The Planar Cell Polarity (PCP) pathway is a molecular process that controls the appropriate movement of cells. Abnormalities in this pathway cause a variety of diseases, including the two most common type of birth defects in humans: cardiac and neural tube defects (such as spina bifida).R-Ras proteins regulate a variety of biological processes, including cell movement. We have found new links between R-Ras proteins and molecules involved in the PCP pathway. We plan to work out the precise mechanisms that are involved in this process and to test the overall importance of R-Ras in the normal functioning of the PCP pathway.A better understanding of the interaction between these two pathways will help us understand how the complex process of cell movement is coordinated and may have implications for the detection and treatment of the numerous diseases where the R-Ras and PCP pathways are involved.