The Roles of Rab Protein Family in Neurological Diseases

The intracellular membrane trafficking is a complicated pathway network. Rab GTPases are key regulators of membrane trafficking that are generally considered as specific markers and indicators of various organelles and membrane trafficking in endocytic and secretory pathways. Dysfunction in axonal and endosomal transport related to Rab proteins is one of the most important causes of neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, we mainly introduce how the Rab proteins change in different neurodegenerative diseases and their regulatory roles in the pathological mechanisms of related diseases. We also discuss the relationships between mitochondrial and glial cell dysfunctions and Rab proteins. Further exploration of the regulatory roles of Rab proteins will shed lights on revealing the pathogenic mechanisms of neurological diseases and providing potential targets for the early diagnosis and treatment of neurological diseases.