The RAB23 gene provides instructions for making a protein that is involved in a process called vesicle trafficking, which moves proteins and other molecules within cells in sac-like structures called vesicles. A vesicle forms when the cell membrane folds around a substance outside the cell (such as a protein). The vesicle is drawn into the cell, pinched off from the cell membrane (a process called endocytosis), and attached to the Rab23 protein. Once inside the cell, the vesicle is guided by the Rab23 protein to its proper destination. Vesicle trafficking is important for the transport of materials that are needed to trigger signaling during development.
Through the transport of certain proteins, the Rab23 protein regulates a specific developmental pathway called the hedgehog signaling pathway that is critical in cell growth (proliferation), cell specialization, and the normal shaping (patterning) of many parts of the body during embryonic development.
Other Names
HSPC137; RAB family small GTP binding protein RAB 23; RAB23_HUMAN; ras-related protein Rab-23
Related Genetics Topics
Identifiers
- NCBI Gene: 51715
- OMIM: 606144
Source: MedlinePlus Genetics, U.S. National Library of Medicine.
