GTPases Are Molecular Switches that Follow a Characteristic Cyclic Pattern (image)

Aarhus University

Caption

When a GTPase is bound to GTP (right), it is active or 'on'. In this state, the GTPase can bind to so-called effector molecules (below), which transmit the GTPase's signal further within the cell. The interaction with the effector causes the GTPase to hydrolyse the bound GTP, thereby rendering the GTPase to its inactive "off" GDP-bound form (left). The GTPase can be reactivated via interaction with a guanine-nucleotide exchange factor that promotes the replacement of the bound GDP with GTP (top).

Credit

Charlotte Rohde Knudsen

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