Chp (GTPase)
RhoV is a small signaling G protein, and is a member of the Rho family of GTPases.
Chp was identified in 1998 as a GTPase interacting with the p21 activated kinase PAK2.
RhoV/Chp delineates with RhoU/Wrch a Rho subclass related to Rac and Cdc42, which emerged in early multicellular organisms during evolution.
RhoV/Chp depends on palmitoylation rather than prenylation for association with plasma and intracellular membranes.
In Xenopus embryos, RhoV is encoded by a canonical Wnt response gene and is induced in the developing neural crest at specification. RhoV activity cooperates with the Snai1 transcription factor for the subsequent induction of the pro-invasive transcription factors Snai2, Sox9 or Twist.
Further reading: Rho family of GTPases
