RAB35, Member RAS Oncogene Family (RAB35)

RAB35 regulates the assembly of actin filaments during bristle development in Drosophila and filopodia formation in cultured cells. These effects were mediated by the actin-bundling protein fascin, which directly associated with active Rab35. Targeting Rab35 to the outer mitochondrial membrane triggered actin recruitment, demonstrating a role for an intracellular trafficking protein in localized actin assembly.RAB35 is similar to human RAB1A (RAB1), rat Rab1b, and yeast YPT1 in the N-terminal region, but is different from these Rab family members in the C-terminal region. However, like these other Rab proteins, RAB35 has 2 consecutive cysteine residues at its C terminus; in Rab proteins, this region is thought to be involved in membrane association. Recombinant RAB35 expressed in bacteria had GTP-binding activity.