Rho激酶在免疫细胞及自身免疫性疾病中的研究进展

Rho激酶(Rho-associated kinases,ROCKs)是一种丝氨酸/苏氨酸蛋白激酶,是Rho GTP酶下游重要的效应分子.Rho GTPase酶能够在与GTP结合的活性状态和与GDP结合的失活状态之间转换,发挥分子开关的作用.Rho GTPase/ROCK信号通路是体内普遍存在的一条通路,在细胞骨架建成,细胞的增殖、收缩、粘附、迁移等生物学行为中发挥重要的调控作用.近年来大量研究表明,ROCKs通过影响T淋巴细胞、B淋巴细胞、以及单核细胞、巨噬细胞等免疫细胞的活化、增殖、粘附、迁移等方面,进而参与多种自身免疫性疾病,如系统性红斑狼疮(systemic lupus erythematosus,SLE),类风湿性关节炎(rheumatoid arthritis,RA),系统性硬化症(systemic sclerosis,SSc)等的发病过程.因此,在未来ROCKs有望为多种自身免疫性疾病提供一种新的治疗靶点.

Research progress of Rho kinases in immune cells and autoimmune diseases

The Rho-associated kinases(ROCKs)are serine/threonine protein kinases and important downstream effectors of Rho GTP enzyme.Rho GTPases act as molecular switches between an inactive and the inactive state of GDP binding,playing the role of molecular switch.Rho GTPase/ROCK signaling pathway is a common pathway,which plays an important role in the formation of cytoskeleton,cell proliferation,contraction,adhesion,migration and other biological behaviors.In recent years,a large number of studies have shown that ROCKs participate in a variety of autoimmune diseases,such as systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE),rheumatoid arthritis(RA)and systemic sclerosis(SSc),by affecting the activation,proliferation,adhesion and migration of T lymphocytes,B lymphocytes,monocytes,macrophages and other immune cells.Therefore ROCKs may be a new therapeutic target for autoimmune disease in the future.