GGAs : Regulation of Multiple Sorting Pathways and Potential Association With Human Diseases

Golgi-localized gamma-ear-containing Arf-binding proteins (GGAs) are a family of monomeric clathrin adaptors that function in intracellular vesicle trafficking. The three GGA family members-GGA1, GGA2 and GGA3-were first identified as sorting adaptors almost simultaneously by independent research groups in 2000. It is now well established that GGAs exert broad functions in intracellular sorting pathways. Moreover, GGAs have been shown to participate in diverse cellular processes including cell survival, migration and invasion, and are proposed to be potentially associated with multiple human disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, cancers and type 2 diabetes mellitus. In this review, we briefly summarize the current knowledge regarding the roles of GGAs in intracellular vesicle trafficking, discuss the regulatory mechanisms underlying their functions, and speculate on their potential implications in human diseases. These findings may help us understand how GGAs participate in the pathogenesis of human diseases and, in the future, how to intervention the diseases via GGA-targeted strategies.