Small GTPases and Their Regulators: A Leading Road toward Blood Vessel Development in Zebrafish

Abstract

Members of the Ras superfamily have been found to perform several functions leading to the development of eukaryotes. These small GTPases are divided into five major subfamilies, and their regulators can “turn on” and “turn off” signals. Recent studies have shown that this superfamily of proteins has various roles in the process of vascular development, such as vasculogenesis and angiogenesis. Here, we discuss the role of these subfamilies in the development of the vascular system in zebrafish.

Keywords

• small GTPases
• GTP-binding proteins
• vascular development and zebrafish