About this Research Topic
As embryos of multicellular organisms divide and grow, they differentiate to form tissues that perform specialized functions. Guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) activate small GTPases and serve as important regulators in signaling pathways for altering gene expression and cytoskeletal dynamics in response to extracellular cues. As a consequence of this role, they determine whether cells proliferate, arrest, differentiate, or undergo cell death. They are therefore crucial for the appropriate development of all multicellular organisms. Their dysregulation has been linked to severe developmental defects in humans such as FGD (Aarskog syndrome), Lesch Nyhan syndrome, Noonan syndrome, periventricular heterotopia, global developmental delay, hypotonia, neurodevelopmental disorders, etc. Research over the past decade has provided us with an understanding of the regulation and activation mechanisms of GEFs, enabling an understanding of how and why this group of molecules is important as cell fate determinants.
Spatial and temporal activation of GEFs helps determine many events in early development such as cell polarity, cell division (symmetric & asymmetric), cell fate specification, cell migration, and morphogenesis. GEFs have also been shown to play a role in mechano-signaling and gastrulation, but a comprehensive picture of the multiple physiological roles played by GEFs in animal tissue patterning during development is lacking. While there are reviews on individual classes of GEFs, this Research Topic, with an emphasis on cell fate specification and development, will draw attention to this important class of molecules and enhance our understanding of why their deregulation causes developmental defects.
This Research Topic welcomes articles of all types on themes that include but are not limited to:
• Regulation of GEFs during development
• GEFs in invertebrate development
• Cellular trafficking by GEFs
• GEFs as determinants of key developmental events: cell polarity; cell fate; morphogenesis etc.
• The effects of GEFs on gene expression and cytoskeletal dynamics
• GEFs in the regulation of primary cilia
• Syndromes and developmental defects associated with GEFs.
Spatial and temporal activation of GEFs helps determine many events in early development such as cell polarity, cell division (symmetric & asymmetric), cell fate specification, cell migration, and morphogenesis. GEFs have also been shown to play a role in mechano-signaling and gastrulation, but a comprehensive picture of the multiple physiological roles played by GEFs in animal tissue patterning during development is lacking. While there are reviews on individual classes of GEFs, this Research Topic, with an emphasis on cell fate specification and development, will draw attention to this important class of molecules and enhance our understanding of why their deregulation causes developmental defects.
This Research Topic welcomes articles of all types on themes that include but are not limited to:
• Regulation of GEFs during development
• GEFs in invertebrate development
• Cellular trafficking by GEFs
• GEFs as determinants of key developmental events: cell polarity; cell fate; morphogenesis etc.
• The effects of GEFs on gene expression and cytoskeletal dynamics
• GEFs in the regulation of primary cilia
• Syndromes and developmental defects associated with GEFs.
Keywords: GEFs, guanine nucleotide exchange factor, development, cell fate, cytoskeletal dynamics, invertebrate development, morphogenesis
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
