Rac1 is a member of a family of small GTPases that are primarily responsible for cellular motility and morphology. Activation of Rac1 by Rac-specific guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) is thought to be important for the metastasis of cancer cells. The scope of this project was to synthesize a minimal extended peptide sequence that would block interaction between Rac1 and the Rac1-specifice exchange factor GEF-H1. Inhibition of Rac1 activation by Rac-specific GEFs would be a useful tool for the study of Rac-mediated cellular processes and may ultimately result in cancer therapeutics.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Beaurivage, Scott

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• E-project-042606-114459

Advisor

• Adams, David S.

Year

• 2006

Date created

• 2006-04-26

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Biochemistry

Rights statement

• In Copyright