Statistical profiling reveals correlations between the cell response to and structural sequence of Rho-GAPs

Rho-GTPase-activating proteins (Rho-GAPs) are essential upstream regulators of the Rho family of GTPases. Currently, it remains unclear if the phenotypic change caused by perturbations to a Rho-GAP is predictable from its structural sequence. Here we analyze the relationship between the morphological response of cells to the silencing of Rho-GAPs and their primary structure. For all possible pairs of 57 different Rho-GAPs expressed in MCF10A epithelial cells, the similarity in the Rho-GAP silencing-induced morphological change was quantified and compared to the similarity in the primary structure of the corresponding pairs. We found a distinct correlation between the morphological and structural similarities in a specific group of RhoA-targeting Rho-GAPs. Thus, the family-wide analysis revealed a common feature shared by the specific Rho-GAPs.