ARHGAP8 - Rho GTPase Activating Protein 8

This gene encodes a member of the RHOGAP family. GAP (GTPase-activating) family proteins participate in signaling pathways that regulate cell processes involved in cytoskeletal changes. GAP proteins alternate between an active (GTP-bound) and inactive (GDP-bound) state based on the GTP:GDP ratio in the cell. This family member is a multidomain protein that functions to promote Erk activation and cell motility. Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants. Read-through transcripts from the upstream proline rich 5, renal (PRR5) gene into this gene also exist, which led to the original description of PRR5 and ARHGAP8 being a single gene. [provided by RefSeq, Nov 2010]