Affinage

RAB23

Ras-related protein Rab-23 · UniProt Q9ULC3

Length
237 aa
Mass
26.7 kDa
Annotated
2026-06-10
80 papers in source corpus 26 papers cited in narrative 27 extracted findings
Cross-family judge vs UniProt: Affinage preferred faithfulness: 7/7 claims corpus-supported (100%)

Mechanistic narrative

Synthesis pass · prose summary of the discoveries below

RAB23 is a Rab-family small GTPase that functions as a cell-autonomous negative regulator of Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling and as a facilitator of primary cilium formation and ciliary cargo delivery (PMID:11449277, PMID:22365972, PMID:40825043). Genetic epistasis places RAB23 downstream of Smoothened and upstream of Gli transcription factors, where it targets the Gli2 activator and promotes Gli3 repressor formation (PMID:16364285); it directly associates with Su(Fu) and suppresses Gli1 transcriptional activity and nuclear accumulation in a Su(Fu)-dependent, GTPase-dependent manner (PMID:22365972). RAB23 localizes to the plasma membrane, early endocytic vesicles, and the primary cilium, with its compartmental distribution governed by its nucleotide state (PMID:14617350, PMID:26136363). At the cilium it supports steady-state ciliary levels of Smoothened and the delivery of specific cargoes including the KIF17 kinesin (with importin-β2), D1-type dopamine receptors, and the EP4 prostaglandin receptor (PMID:20375059, PMID:26136363, PMID:26182404, PMID:41372612). The planar-cell-polarity longin-domain proteins Inturned and Fuzzy form a GEF complex that activates RAB23 during ciliogenesis (PMID:31564489), and RAB23 loss perturbs primary cilium formation in a cell-type-specific manner and desensitizes cells to cilium-dependent Hedgehog activation (PMID:34210780, PMID:40825043). Beyond ciliary signaling, RAB23 acts as an upstream negative regulator of FGFR-ERK signaling in cranial sutures (PMID:32662771) and participates in clathrin-mediated endocytosis through interactions with the AP-2 adaptor, PICALM, endophilin A2, and cortactin (PMID:40261407). Loss-of-function mutations in RAB23 cause Carpenter syndrome, with disease alleles such as Y79del distorting the switch II region and abolishing partner binding (PMID:17503333, PMID:39615683).

Mechanistic history

Synthesis pass · year-by-year structured walk · 22 steps
  1. 2001 High

    Established RAB23 as a genetic component of Shh signaling by showing it is required cell-autonomously to silence the pathway in dorsal neural cells, reframing it from an uncharacterized locus to a pathway regulator.

    Evidence Map-based cloning of the mouse open brain locus and Shh/opb double-mutant epistasis

    PMID:11449277

    Open questions at the time
    • Molecular mechanism of pathway suppression undefined
    • No biochemical activity assigned at this stage
  2. 2005 High

    Positioned RAB23 in the pathway hierarchy—downstream of Smoothened and upstream of Gli factors—identifying the Gli2 activator and Gli3 repressor as functional targets.

    Evidence Mouse Rab23/Smo, Rab23/Gli2, Rab23/Gli3 double-mutant epistasis with Gli3 western blots

    PMID:16364285

    Open questions at the time
    • Did not show direct molecular interaction with Gli machinery
    • Mechanism of Gli processing control unknown
  3. 2003 High

    Defined where RAB23 acts in the cell, linking its GTP/GDP state to plasma-membrane versus cytosolic distribution and to early endosomes shared with Patched.

    Evidence Light and immunoEM of GFP-tagged WT, Q68L, and S23N Rab23 with endocytic and Hh-component colocalization

    PMID:14617350

    Open questions at the time
    • No identified GEF/GAP or effector at endosomes
    • Functional consequence of Patched colocalization not established
  4. 2007 High

    Connected RAB23 loss-of-function to human disease, establishing it as the Carpenter syndrome gene and tying its function to cranial-suture Hedgehog signaling.

    Evidence Homozygosity mapping and RAB23 sequencing in 15 families; founder mutation L145X

    PMID:17503333

    Open questions at the time
    • Did not resolve cellular mechanism linking RAB23 loss to suture defects
    • Genotype-phenotype relationships across allele types unclear
  5. 2007 Medium

    Identified RAB23 as a phosphoprotein responsive to the unusual second messenger cCMP, hinting at a regulatory input on its activity.

    Evidence IMAC enrichment and mass spectrometry of mouse brain phosphoproteins

    PMID:17639578

    Open questions at the time
    • Responsible kinase unknown
    • Functional consequence of phosphorylation untested
  6. 2010 Medium

    Provided the first direct evidence that RAB23 regulates ciliary protein content, specifically Smoothened turnover within the primary cilium.

    Evidence FRAP-based ciliary transport assays with Rab23 knockdown and dominant-negative in MDCK cells

    PMID:20375059

    Open questions at the time
    • Mechanism of ciliary Smoothened control not resolved
    • Single cell type
  7. 2008 Medium

    Linked RAB23 to skeletal cell-fate decisions, showing both excess and loss impair chondrogenesis via Gli1/Sox9, foreshadowing its developmental skeletal roles.

    Evidence Overexpression and siRNA knockdown of Rab23 in ATDC5 chondroprogenitors with gene-expression readouts

    PMID:18218620

    Open questions at the time
    • Bidirectional dose effect mechanism unexplained
    • Single cell line
  8. 2012 Medium

    Defined a biochemical mechanism for Gli suppression, showing RAB23 directly binds Su(Fu) and requires it and its own GTPase activity to repress Gli1.

    Evidence Co-IP, confocal colocalization, Gli1 luciferase reporter in WT vs Su(Fu)-null fibroblasts, GTPase assay

    PMID:22365972

    Open questions at the time
    • Reciprocal/structural validation of Su(Fu) interaction limited
    • How GTP state gates Su(Fu) binding unclear
  9. 2012 Medium

    Extended RAB23 function to selective autophagy, showing it is recruited to autophagosomes targeting Group A Streptococcus but dispensable for starvation autophagy.

    Evidence siRNA knockdown, immunofluorescence, and live-cell imaging during GAS infection

    PMID:22452336

    Open questions at the time
    • Effector linking RAB23 to GcAV formation unknown
    • Relation to ciliary/Hh roles unclear
  10. 2014 Medium

    Revealed a Hedgehog-independent developmental role, showing RAB23 is required for production of functional Nodal signals in left-right patterning.

    Evidence Mouse loss-of-function, Nodal protein injection and cDNA transfection, zebrafish gain/loss-of-function

    PMID:24780629

    Open questions at the time
    • Molecular step in Nodal production controlled by RAB23 undefined
    • Trafficking basis not identified
  11. 2015 High

    Mechanistically defined RAB23 as a ciliary cargo-delivery factor, forming a complex with KIF17 and importin-β2 and being necessary and sufficient for ciliary membrane targeting of D1 dopamine receptors.

    Evidence Co-IP, affinity binding, siRNA depletion, Rab23-receptor fusion gain-of-function with IFT-B/KIF17 epistasis and live imaging

    PMID:26136363 PMID:26182404

    Open questions at the time
    • General versus cargo-specific selectivity rules unknown
    • How nucleotide state directs ciliary targeting structurally unresolved
  12. 2016 Medium

    Implicated RAB23 in cancer cell motility through a GTP-dependent integrin-β1/Tiam1/Rac1 axis, broadening its interactome beyond ciliary trafficking.

    Evidence Co-IP, integrin-β1 siRNA disruption, Transwell invasion assays in squamous carcinoma cells

    PMID:26716504

    Open questions at the time
    • Direct versus indirect Tiam1 association unresolved
    • Single cancer cell context
  13. 2018 Medium

    Connected RAB23 to neuronal migration via N-cadherin and PDGFRα-ERK signaling, showing a tissue-specific signaling role distinct from canonical Hh.

    Evidence In utero knockdown, conditional knockout, ERK inhibition, and N-cadherin rescue in mouse neocortex

    PMID:29420702

    Open questions at the time
    • How RAB23 controls N-cadherin/PDGFRα mechanistically unclear
    • Link to its trafficking activity not established
  14. 2019 High

    Identified the activating regulator of RAB23 by demonstrating that the Inturned/Fuzzy longin-domain complex is a specific GEF, embedding RAB23 in PCP-driven ciliogenesis.

    Evidence In vitro GEF assay, Co-IP, localization, Drosophila genetics, and mammalian siRNA depletion

    PMID:31564489

    Open questions at the time
    • GAP and downstream ciliary effectors of activated RAB23 incompletely defined
    • Step in axoneme elongation controlled by the module unclear
  15. 2019 Medium

    Extended the RAB23-KIF17 module to meiotic spindle dynamics, showing GTP-RAB23 promotes KIF17 spindle-pole migration required for oocyte division.

    Evidence Immunofluorescence, knockdown of Rab23/Kif17, Co-IP, and live imaging in mouse oocytes

    PMID:30696709

    Open questions at the time
    • Whether spindle role is cilium-independent unresolved
    • Direct RAB23 spindle effectors unknown
  16. 2020 High

    Demonstrated in vivo that RAB23 negatively regulates FGFR-ERK as well as Hh-GLI signaling, providing a mechanistic basis for craniosynostosis in Carpenter syndrome.

    Evidence Rab23-deficient mouse with pERK1/2 inhibitor rescue and multi-pathway molecular profiling of cranial sutures

    PMID:32662771

    Open questions at the time
    • Direct molecular target of RAB23 in FGFR-ERK suppression undefined
    • How a trafficking GTPase restrains receptor signaling unclear
  17. 2023 Medium

    Defined a specific skeletal requirement for RAB23 in patella formation and tendon progenitor maintenance through TGFβ/BMP and SOX9/scleraxis programs.

    Evidence Rab23-deficient mouse analysis with immunofluorescence and gene-expression profiling

    PMID:36910145

    Open questions at the time
    • Mechanism linking RAB23 to TGFβ/BMP receptor levels unknown
    • Cell-autonomy not fully resolved
  18. 2021 Medium

    Resolved RAB23's apparently opposing Hh roles, showing it both represses basal Shh signaling and facilitates cilium-dependent ligand responsiveness in cerebellar granule precursors.

    Evidence Nestin-Cre conditional knockout with Gli reporters and Smoothened ciliary-localization assays

    PMID:34210780

    Open questions at the time
    • How one GTPase achieves dual opposing functions mechanistically unclear
    • Ciliogenesis defect basis not defined here
  19. 2024 High

    Provided structural ground truth for RAB23 nucleotide states and showed the Carpenter mutant Y79del distorts switch II to abolish partner binding.

    Evidence X-ray crystal structures of GDP- and GMPPNP-bound human Rab23 with in vitro assays of Y79del

    PMID:39615683

    Open questions at the time
    • Structures of RAB23 with effectors/GEF not determined
    • Conformational basis of cargo selectivity unresolved
  20. 2025 High

    Mapped RAB23's cell-type-specific ciliogenesis requirement across multiple vertebrate models and patient iPSC neurons, linking ciliary defects to Hh desensitization.

    Evidence Mouse conditional knockout, Carpenter patient iPSC-derived neurons/progenitors, and zebrafish morphants with Shh/SAG assays

    PMID:40825043

    Open questions at the time
    • Determinants of cell-type specificity unknown
    • Why some cell types are ciliation-resistant unexplained
  21. 2025 Medium

    Connected RAB23 to clathrin-mediated endocytosis and BMP signal transduction through interactions with the AP-2 adaptor and endocytic machinery.

    Evidence Reciprocal Co-IP with AP2β1, PICALM, endophilin A2, cortactin and transferrin-uptake assays with knockdown/rescue

    PMID:40261407

    Open questions at the time
    • Whether endocytic role underlies its signaling functions unresolved
    • Direct versus adaptor-mediated clathrin binding unclear
  22. 2025 Low

    Proposed a RAB23-RAB18-BBSome module in which RAB23 acts as a RAB18 GEF to license BBSome transition-zone passage, offering a candidate ciliary-entry mechanism.

    Evidence Biochemical GEF assay, localization, and genetics in Chlamydomonas (preprint)

    Open questions at the time
    • Preprint, not peer-reviewed
    • Demonstrated in divergent alga; conservation in vertebrates untested
    • RAB23-as-GEF activity contrasts with RAB23-as-substrate of Inturned/Fuzzy GEF

Open questions

Synthesis pass · forward-looking unresolved questions
  • How a single Rab GTPase integrates negative regulation of Hh/FGFR signaling, cargo-specific ciliary delivery, and clathrin-mediated endocytosis into a unified molecular mechanism remains unresolved.
  • No structure of RAB23 with a ciliary effector or with Su(Fu)
  • Mechanistic basis for cell-type-specific ciliogenesis dependence unknown
  • Whether endocytic, ciliary, and signaling roles share one effector network unclear

Mechanism profile

Synthesis pass · controlled-vocabulary classification · explore literature graph →
Localization
GO:0005929 cilium 5 GO:0005886 plasma membrane 2 GO:0005768 endosome 1 GO:0005815 microtubule organizing center 1 GO:0005829 cytosol 1
Pathway
R-HSA-162582 Signal Transduction 4 R-HSA-1266738 Developmental Biology 3 R-HSA-1852241 Organelle biogenesis and maintenance 2 R-HSA-5653656 Vesicle-mediated transport 1 R-HSA-9612973 Autophagy 1
Partners
AP2B1FUZINTUITGB1KIF17KPNB1PICALMSUFU
Complex memberships
AP-2 clathrin adaptor complex

Evidence

Reading pass · 27 per-paper findings extracted from the source corpus
Year Finding Method Journal Conf PMIDs
2001 Rab23 (encoded by the mouse open brain locus) is a cell-autonomous negative regulator of the Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling pathway; Shh/opb double mutants rescue ventral neural cell types missing in Shh single mutants, placing Rab23 downstream of Shh and establishing it as required for silencing the Shh pathway in dorsal neural cells. Map-based cloning of opb locus; genetic epistasis analysis using Shh/opb double mutants in mouse Nature High 11449277
2005 Rab23 acts downstream of Smoothened (Smo) and upstream of Gli transcription factors; double-mutant analysis shows the primary target of Rab23 is the Gli2 activator, and Rab23 also promotes production of Gli3 repressor. Rab23 does not work through Patched or Smoothened. Genetic epistasis analysis using Rab23/Smo, Rab23/Gli2, Rab23/Gli3 double mutants in mouse; Gli3 protein analysis by western blot Developmental biology High 16364285
2003 Rab23-GFP and constitutively active Rab23Q68L-GFP localize predominantly to the plasma membrane and early endocytic vesicles (colocalizing with Rab5Q79L and internalized transferrin), whereas dominant-negative Rab23S23N-GFP is predominantly cytosolic. Patched co-localizes with intracellular Rab23-GFP at early endosomes, but neither Patched nor Smoothened distribution is altered by wild-type or mutant Rab23. Light microscopy and immunoelectron microscopy of GFP-tagged wild-type and mutant Rab23; colocalization with endocytic markers and hedgehog pathway components Traffic (Copenhagen, Denmark) High 14617350
2007 RAB23 mutations (four truncating, one missense) cause Carpenter syndrome in humans, establishing RAB23 as a disease gene whose loss of function disrupts Hedgehog signaling in cranial-suture development and contributes to obesity. Homozygosity mapping; sequencing of RAB23 in 15 independent families; identification of founder mutation L145X American journal of human genetics High 17503333
2010 Depletion of Rab23 or expression of dominant-negative Rab23 specifically decreases the ciliary steady-state level of Smoothened but not EB1 or Kim1, indicating a role for Rab23 in regulating protein turnover within the primary cilium. FRAP-based quantitative analysis of ciliary protein transport in MDCK cells; Rab23 knockdown and dominant-negative expression Journal of cell science Medium 20375059
2012 Rab23 directly associates with Su(Fu) by co-immunoprecipitation and confocal colocalization; Rab23 suppresses Gli1 transcriptional activity and nuclear localization in a Su(Fu)-dependent manner (no suppression in Su(Fu)-null fibroblasts). The dominant-negative Rab23 cannot suppress Gli1 activity, and Rab23 possesses intrinsic GTPase activity. Co-immunoprecipitation; confocal microscopy; Gli1 luciferase reporter assay in wild-type vs Su(Fu)-null fibroblasts; GTPase activity assay; nuclear localization analysis Cellular signalling Medium 22365972
2012 Rab23 is recruited to forming autophagosomes (GcAVs) during Group A Streptococcus infection; Rab23 knockdown decreases LC3- and Atg5-positive GAS-containing structures and causes accumulation of LC3-positive structures not associated with GAS, indicating Rab23 is required for GcAV formation and GAS targeting to autophagic vacuoles. Rab23 is dispensable for starvation-induced autophagy. siRNA knockdown of Rab23; immunofluorescence; live-cell imaging during GAS infection Cellular microbiology Medium 22452336
2014 Rab23 is required for expression of Nodal and Nodal target genes in the left lateral plate mesoderm (LPM) independently of the Hedgehog pathway; microinjection of Nodal protein and transfection of Nodal cDNA in the embryo indicate Rab23 is required for production of functional Nodal signals rather than the response to them. This role is conserved in zebrafish (Kupffer's vesicle). Mouse loss-of-function analysis; Nodal microinjection; cDNA transfection; zebrafish gain- and loss-of-function experiments Developmental biology Medium 24780629
2015 Rab23 localizes to the primary cilium (wild-type and constitutively active Q68L enriched at cilium); Rab23-depleted cells show disrupted ciliary localization of the kinesin-2 motor Kif17. Co-immunoprecipitation and affinity-binding studies show Rab23 forms a complex with Kif17 and importin β2, the putative Kif17 ciliary import carrier. Immunofluorescence; co-immunoprecipitation; affinity-binding assay; siRNA depletion of Rab23 in cultured cells Journal of cell science Medium 26136363
2015 Rab23 is essential for ciliary delivery of D1-type dopamine receptors from the extra-ciliary plasma membrane; this requires the receptor cytoplasmic tail, IFT-B complex, and KIF17. Depleting Rab23 prevents dopamine receptor access to the ciliary membrane; fusion of Rab23 to a non-ciliary receptor is sufficient to drive nucleotide-dependent mis-localization to the ciliary membrane. siRNA depletion of Rab23; Rab23-receptor fusion constructs; live-cell imaging; epistasis with IFT-B and KIF17 eLife High 26182404
2008 Elevated Rab23 expression inhibits chondrogenic differentiation of ATDC5 chondroprogenitors (reduces type II collagen and aggrecan matrix genes); conversely, Rab23 siRNA knockdown also inhibits differentiation and reduces Sox9 expression. Rab23 knockdown decreases Gli1 expression in chondrocytes, linking Rab23 to Sox9 regulation via Gli1. Retroviral insertional mutagenesis; stable overexpression and siRNA knockdown of Rab23 in ATDC5 cells; gene expression analysis The Journal of biological chemistry Medium 18218620
2016 Rab23 promotes squamous cell carcinoma cell migration and invasion through physical interaction with integrin β1 and Tiam1 in a GTP-dependent manner, activating Rac1. Co-immunoprecipitation shows Rab23 coprecipitates with integrin β1 and Tiam1; integrin β1 siRNA disrupts the Rab23-Tiam1 interaction and attenuates Rab23-promoted invasion. Co-immunoprecipitation; siRNA knockdown; Transwell invasion/migration assay; stable overexpression of WT and Q68L Rab23 Oncotarget Medium 26716504
2019 Inturned and Fuzzy, planar cell polarity effector proteins containing multiple longin domains, form a specific GEF (guanine nucleotide exchange factor) complex for Rab23. In Drosophila, loss of Rab23 causes defects in planar-polarized trichome formation. In cultured human and mouse cells, Inturned and Fuzzy localize to the basal body and proximal cilia, and their depletion arrests cilium formation after ciliary vesicle docking but before axoneme elongation. Biochemical GEF assay; co-immunoprecipitation; localization by immunofluorescence; Drosophila genetics; siRNA depletion in mammalian cells Current biology : CB High 31564489
2019 GTP-bound Rab23 accumulates at the meiotic spindle in mouse oocytes and promotes migration of Kif17 to spindle poles. Depletion of Rab23 or Kif17 causes polar body extrusion failure, perturbs spindle formation, and disrupts chromosome alignment. Kif17 regulates tubulin acetylation by associating with αTAT and Sirt2; Kif17 tail domain associates with RhoA-ROCK-LIMK-cofilin pathway components to modulate actin filament assembly. Immunofluorescence; siRNA/morpholino knockdown of Rab23 and Kif17 in mouse oocytes; co-immunoprecipitation; live-cell imaging Development (Cambridge, England) Medium 30696709
2020 RAB23 deficiency in mice results in elevated FGF10-driven FGFR1 signaling, increased pERK1/2, imbalanced MAPK/Hedgehog signaling, and elevated RUNX2 expression in cranial sutures, leading to premature suture fusion. Inhibition of elevated pERK1/2 normalizes osteoprogenitor proliferation and prevents craniosynostosis. RAB23 acts as an upstream negative regulator of both FGFR and canonical Hh-GLI1 signaling, and also non-canonically regulates GLI1 through pERK1/2. Rab23-deficient mouse model; pharmacological pERK1/2 inhibition; western blot and gene expression analyses in cranial suture tissue eLife High 32662771
2018 In utero knockdown or conditional knockout of Rab23 in mouse neocortex causes aberrant polarity and halted radial migration of cortical projection neurons; Rab23-deficient neurons show downregulation of N-cadherin and impaired ERK1/2 activation via perturbed PDGFRα signaling. Restoration of Rab23 or N-cadherin expression reverses migration defects. In utero knockdown; conditional knockout; western blot; immunofluorescence; pharmacological ERK inhibition; rescue experiments Cerebral cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991) Medium 29420702
2007 Rab23 phosphorylation in mouse brain is specifically induced by cytidine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cCMP) but not cAMP or cGMP, as identified by IMAC enrichment and mass spectrometry, making Rab23 the first protein reported to be phosphorylated in response to cCMP. IMAC phosphoprotein enrichment; MALDI-ToF MS and LC/ESI-MS/MS of tryptic digests from mouse brain Rapid communications in mass spectrometry : RCM Medium 17639578
2024 Crystal structures of human Rab23 bound to GDP and GMPPNP (non-hydrolysable GTP analog) were determined; the clinical Carpenter syndrome mutant Y79del shows structural distortions in the switch II region relative to wild-type, disrupting binding to interacting partners and causing loss-of-function. In vitro biochemical assays confirmed impaired function of Y79del. X-ray crystallography (high-resolution crystal structures); in vitro biochemical assays; mutagenesis The Journal of biological chemistry High 39615683
2021 Conditional knockout of Rab23 in mouse brain causes mispatterning of cerebellar folia and elevated granule cell precursor (GCP) proliferation. Rab23-depleted GCPs show elevated basal Shh pathway activity but abnormal ciliogenesis, and are desensitized to Shh ligand and Smoothened agonist (SAG)-induced Hh pathway activation, with attenuated SAG-stimulated Smoothened localization to the primary cilium. This reveals dual functions: Rab23 represses basal Shh signaling while facilitating primary cilium-dependent extrinsic Shh activation. Nestin-Cre conditional knockout mouse; immunofluorescence; Gli1/Gli2 reporter assays; Smoothened ciliary localization assay The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience Medium 34210780
2025 RAB23 loss-of-function causes context-dependent perturbation of primary cilia formation in a cell-type-specific manner: chondrocytes, mouse embryonic fibroblasts, neural progenitor cells, and neocortical neurons show ciliary abnormalities, while epithelial cells, cerebellar granule cells, and hippocampal neurons are unaffected. Patient-derived iPSC-differentiated neurons show reduced ciliation frequency. Rab23-KO neural progenitor cells are desensitized to primary cilium-dependent Hedgehog pathway activation. Rab23 conditional knockout mouse; CS patient-derived iPSCs differentiated to neurons and neural progenitors; zebrafish morphants; immunofluorescence; Shh/SAG stimulation assays PLoS genetics High 40825043
2025 RAB23 interacts with β-adaptin (AP2β1) subunit of the AP-2 clathrin adaptor complex and with clathrin assembly protein PICALM, vesicle curvature protein endophilin A2, and cortactin; RAB23 deficiency impairs clathrin-dependent endocytosis (inefficient transferrin cargo internalization) and reduces the β-adaptin/clathrin interaction. Vesicle formation upon BMP stimulation and subsequent BMP signal transduction are aberrant in RAB23-deficient cells. Co-immunoprecipitation; time-lapse live-cell imaging of transferrin uptake; RAB23 knockdown and overexpression rescue; western blot Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS Medium 40261407
2025 In Chlamydomonas, RAB23-GDP localizes to the basal body region below the transition zone (TZ) and functions as a RAB18-specific guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF); RAB18-GTP then recruits the BBSome as its effector to cross the TZ for ciliary entry. RAB23-GDP subsequently enters cilia as a BBSome cargo, establishing a RAB23-RAB18-BBSome module that mediates inward BBSome TZ passage required for signaling protein homeostasis in cilia. Biochemical GEF assay; localization studies; genetic analysis in Chlamydomonas bioRxivpreprint Low
2025 EP4 prostaglandin receptor physically interacts with Rab23 through its IC3 loop and C-terminal region; Rab23 (together with IFT43) is required for EP4 ciliary trafficking in zebrafish and mammalian cells. High-content siRNA screening; co-immunoprecipitation; CRISPR C-to-G base editing; immunofluorescence in zebrafish and mammalian cells Communications biology Medium 41372612
2019 Influenza HA and NA associate with Rab23 in lipid raft fractions (coimmunoprecipitation); live-cell imaging shows NA moves with Rab23-positive vesicles at the apical membrane. Dominant-negative Rab23 impairs cell surface expression of HA but does not significantly delay HA transport to the plasma membrane. Co-immunoprecipitation from lipid raft fractions; confocal microscopy; live-cell imaging; dominant-negative Rab23 expression Frontiers in microbiology Low 31456775
2022 Rab23 colocalizes with mature melanosomes marked by TRP-1; siRNA-mediated Rab23 knockdown reduces melanin levels, tyrosinase activity, and inhibits the PKA/CREB/MITF pathway, causing abnormal perinuclear accumulation of melanosomes, indicating Rab23 regulates melanosome transport and UVB-induced melanin synthesis. siRNA knockdown; immunofluorescence colocalization; melanin quantification; western blot for PKA/CREB/MITF pathway components Experimental dermatology Low 35514241
2023 RAB23 musculoskeletal development study shows RAB23 is required for patella bone formation and maintenance of tendon progenitors; Rab23-deficient mice fail to form a patella and normal knee joint, with disrupted SOX9 and scleraxis expression in patella chondroprogenitors and barely detectable TGFβR2, BMPR1, BMP4, and pSmad expression in the patellofemoral region. Rab23-deficient mouse analysis; immunofluorescence; gene expression analysis Frontiers in cell and developmental biology Medium 36910145
2024 PCIF1/CAPAM methyltransferase positively regulates RAB23 mRNA stability through m6A modification; siRNA-mediated suppression of PCIF1 decreases RAB23 mRNA and protein levels, and MeRIP-qPCR shows PCIF1 suppression reduces m6A levels of RAB23 mRNA. The effect requires PCIF1's methyltransferase activity. siRNA knockdown of PCIF1; qRT-PCR; western blot; MeRIP-qPCR; rescue experiments with methyltransferase-dead mutant Cells Low 39451207

Source papers

Stage 0 corpus · 80 papers · ranked by NIH iCite citations
Year Title Journal Citations PMID
2001 Rab23 is an essential negative regulator of the mouse Sonic hedgehog signalling pathway. Nature 303 11449277
2007 RAB23 mutations in Carpenter syndrome imply an unexpected role for hedgehog signaling in cranial-suture development and obesity. American journal of human genetics 180 17503333
2005 Mouse Rab23 regulates hedgehog signaling from smoothened to Gli proteins. Developmental biology 120 16364285
2003 Rab23, a negative regulator of hedgehog signaling, localizes to the plasma membrane and the endocytic pathway. Traffic (Copenhagen, Denmark) 105 14617350
2008 Integrative genomics identifies RAB23 as an invasion mediator gene in diffuse-type gastric cancer. Cancer research 95 18559507
2010 Differential role of Rab proteins in ciliary trafficking: Rab23 regulates smoothened levels. Journal of cell science 86 20375059
2012 The small GTPases Rab9A and Rab23 function at distinct steps in autophagy during Group A Streptococcus infection. Cellular microbiology 75 22452336
2015 Dopamine receptors reveal an essential role of IFT-B, KIF17, and Rab23 in delivering specific receptors to primary cilia. eLife 71 26182404
2007 Rab23 is a potential biological target for treating hepatocellular carcinoma. World journal of gastroenterology 49 17373734
2018 miR-338-3p targets RAB23 and suppresses tumorigenicity of prostate cancer cells. American journal of cancer research 45 30662812
2010 RAB23 mutation in a large family from Comoros Islands with Carpenter syndrome. American journal of medical genetics. Part A 45 20358613
2019 Planar Cell Polarity Effector Proteins Inturned and Fuzzy Form a Rab23 GEF Complex. Current biology : CB 43 31564489
2017 MiR-429 regulates the metastasis and EMT of HCC cells through targeting RAB23. Archives of biochemistry and biophysics 42 29191386
2019 Circular RNA MYLK promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression by increasing Rab23 expression by sponging miR-362-3p. Cancer cell international 40 31413665
1994 Isolation of a mouse cDNA encoding Rab23, a small novel GTPase expressed predominantly in the brain. Gene 40 8125302
2016 MicroRNA-665 suppressed the invasion and metastasis of osteosarcoma by directly inhibiting RAB23. American journal of translational research 39 27904698
2014 The microRNA-367 inhibits the invasion and metastasis of gastric cancer by directly repressing Rab23. Genetic testing and molecular biomarkers 39 25489984
2006 Open brain gene product Rab23: expression pattern in the adult mouse brain and functional characterization. Journal of neuroscience research 39 16463280
2015 A role for Rab23 in the trafficking of Kif17 to the primary cilium. Journal of cell science 38 26136363
2015 Rab23 is overexpressed in human bladder cancer and promotes cancer cell proliferation and invasion. Tumour biology : the journal of the International Society for Oncodevelopmental Biology and Medicine 38 26715272
2012 Rab23 negatively regulates Gli1 transcriptional factor in a Su(Fu)-dependent manner. Cellular signalling 36 22365972
2006 Rab23: what exactly does it traffic? Traffic (Copenhagen, Denmark) 35 16683919
2019 Rab23/Kif17 regulate meiotic progression in oocytes by modulating tubulin acetylation and actin dynamics. Development (Cambridge, England) 34 30696709
2011 Carpenter syndrome: extended RAB23 mutation spectrum and analysis of nonsense-mediated mRNA decay. Human mutation 33 21412941
2017 Upregulation of miR-802 suppresses gastric cancer oncogenicity via targeting RAB23 expression. European review for medical and pharmacological sciences 32 29028094
2014 Rab23 regulates Nodal signaling in vertebrate left-right patterning independently of the Hedgehog pathway. Developmental biology 30 24780629
2016 Rab23 promotes squamous cell carcinoma cell migration and invasion via integrin β1/Rac1 pathway. Oncotarget 29 26716504
2015 Effect of Rab23 on the proliferation and apoptosis in breast cancer. Oncology reports 29 26238143
2016 MicroRNA-16 Alleviates Inflammatory Pain by Targeting Ras-Related Protein 23 (RAB23) and Inhibiting p38 MAPK Activation. Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research 27 27770129
2010 Drosophila Rab23 is involved in the regulation of the number and planar polarization of the adult cuticular hairs. Genetics 24 20124028
2018 Rab23 promotes the cisplatin resistance of ovarian cancer via the Shh-Gli-ABCG2 signaling pathway. Oncology letters 23 29552151
2014 Prenatal findings in carpenter syndrome and a novel mutation in RAB23. American journal of medical genetics. Part A 22 25168863
2016 Rab23 is overexpressed in human astrocytoma and promotes cell migration and invasion through regulation of Rac1. Tumour biology : the journal of the International Society for Oncodevelopmental Biology and Medicine 21 26897750
2008 Rab23 regulates differentiation of ATDC5 chondroprogenitor cells. The Journal of biological chemistry 21 18218620
2005 Characterization of Rab23, a negative regulator of sonic hedgehog signaling. Methods in enzymology 21 16473637
2019 lncRNA OSER1-AS1 acts as a ceRNA to promote tumorigenesis in hepatocellular carcinoma by regulating miR-372-3p/Rab23 axis. Biochemical and biophysical research communications 20 31635804
2016 RAB23, regulated by miR-92b, promotes the progression of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Gene 20 27659550
2020 RAB23 coordinates early osteogenesis by repressing FGF10-pERK1/2 and GLI1. eLife 19 32662771
2020 CircHIPK3 Promotes Thyroid Cancer Tumorigenesis and Invasion through the Mirna-338-3p/RAB23 Axis. Medical principles and practice : international journal of the Kuwait University, Health Science Centre 18 33105143
2018 Rab23 Regulates Radial Migration of Projection Neurons via N-cadherin. Cerebral cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991) 18 29420702
2018 Rab23 Promotes Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell Migration Via Rac1/TGF-β Signaling. Pathology oncology research : POR 18 30191377
2017 Downregulation of Rab23 in Prostate Cancer Inhibits Tumor Growth In Vitro and In Vivo. Oncology research 18 28277196
2019 Apical Trafficking Pathways of Influenza A Virus HA and NA via Rab17- and Rab23-Positive Compartments. Frontiers in microbiology 17 31456775
2018 Association of genetic variants in RAB23 and ANXA11 with uveitis in sarcoidosis. Molecular vision 17 29416296
2017 Rab23's genetic structure, function and related diseases: a review. Bioscience reports 17 28104793
2016 Rab23 activities and human cancer-emerging connections and mechanisms. Tumour biology : the journal of the International Society for Oncodevelopmental Biology and Medicine 17 27449041
2007 Mass spectrometric identification of Rab23 phosphorylation as a response to challenge by cytidine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate in mouse brain. Rapid communications in mass spectrometry : RCM 17 17639578
2020 MicroRNA-429 inhibits the proliferation and migration of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cells by targeting RAB23 through the NF-κB pathway. European review for medical and pharmacological sciences 16 32096149
2018 Rab23 and developmental disorders. Reviews in the neurosciences 16 29727300
2012 Sublocalization of Rab23, a mediator of Sonic hedgehog signaling pathway, in hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines. Molecular medicine reports 16 23007279
2012 A Novel Aberrant Splice Site Mutation in RAB23 Leads to an Eight Nucleotide Deletion in the mRNA and Is Responsible for Carpenter Syndrome in a Consanguineous Emirati Family. Molecular syndromology 16 23599695
2003 Molecular cloning and characterization of human RAB23, a member of the group of Rab GTPases. International journal of molecular medicine 16 14612978
2018 MicroRNA-16 suppressed the invasion and migration of osteosarcoma by directly inhibiting RAB23. European review for medical and pharmacological sciences 15 29771408
2015 Inactivation of Rab23 inhibits the invasion and motility of pancreatic duct adenocarcinoma. Genetics and molecular research : GMR 14 25867419
2011 Rab23 is a flagellar protein in Trypanosoma brucei. BMC research notes 14 21676215
2021 Multifaceted Functions of Rab23 on Primary Cilium-Mediated and Hedgehog Signaling-Mediated Cerebellar Granule Cell Proliferation. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience 11 34210780
2023 Biomarker of Pulmonary Inflammatory Response in LUAD: miR-584-5p Targets RAB23 to Suppress Inflammation Induced by LPS in A549 Cells. Protein and peptide letters 10 38093594
2019 Downregulation of Rab23 inhibits proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of human ovarian cancer. The international journal of biochemistry & cell biology 9 31550546
2011 Rab23 plays a role in the pathophysiology of mesangial cells--a proteomic analysis. Proteomics 9 21268268
2007 Rab23 GTPase is expressed asymmetrically in Hensen's node and plays a role in the dorsoventral patterning of the chick neural tube. Developmental dynamics : an official publication of the American Association of Anatomists 9 17937392
2005 Expression of the Hedgehog antagonists Rab23 and Slimb/betaTrCP during mouse tooth development. Archives of oral biology 9 15721142
2023 MicroRNA-367-3p directly targets RAB23 and inhibits proliferation, migration and invasion of bladder cancer cells and increases cisplatin sensitivity. Journal of cancer research and clinical oncology 8 37935937
2021 miR‑367‑3p downregulates Rab23 expression and inhibits Hedgehog signaling resulting in the inhibition of the proliferation, migration, and invasion of prostate cancer cells. Oncology reports 8 34278506
2018 miR-384 suppressed renal cell carcinoma cell proliferation and migration through targeting RAB23. Journal of cellular biochemistry 6 30390327
2023 Downregulation of Rab23 inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma by repressing SHH signaling pathway. Cancer reports (Hoboken, N.J.) 4 37884351
2022 Effect of Licochalcone-A Combined with Rab23 Gene on Proliferation of Glioma U251 Cells. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM 4 35497928
2020 miR-597-3p inhibits invasion and migration of thyroid carcinoma SW579 cells by targeting RAB23. Endokrynologia Polska 4 32856288
2022 Silencing of Rab23 by siRNA inhibits ultraviolet B-induced melanogenesis via downregulation of PKA/CREB/MITF. Experimental dermatology 3 35514241
2019 Integrated analysis and knockdown of RAB23 indicate the role of RAB23 in gastric adenocarcinoma. Annals of translational medicine 3 32042761
2024 Cap-Specific m6Am Methyltransferase PCIF1/CAPAM Regulates mRNA Stability of RAB23 and CNOT6 through the m6A Methyltransferase Activity. Cells 2 39451207
2024 Structural basis for Rab23 activation and a loss-of-function mutation in Carpenter syndrome. The Journal of biological chemistry 2 39615683
2015 [Rab23 enhances invasion of Sa3 cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma cells via up-regulating the expression of Rac1]. Xi bao yu fen zi mian yi xue za zhi = Chinese journal of cellular and molecular immunology 2 26648292
2013 [Role of Rab23 in invasion and migration of human breast cancer Bcap-37 cells]. Xi bao yu fen zi mian yi xue za zhi = Chinese journal of cellular and molecular immunology 2 23948406
2025 RAB23 facilitates clathrin-coated nascent vesicle formation at the plasma membrane and modulates cell signaling. Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS 1 40261407
2025 RAB23 loss-of-function mutation causes context-dependent ciliopathy in Carpenter syndrome. PLoS genetics 1 40825043
2023 RAB23 regulates musculoskeletal development and patterning. Frontiers in cell and developmental biology 1 36910145
2017 Molecular Analysis of Gli3, Ihh, Rab23, and Jag1 in a Rabbit Model of Craniosynostosis: Likely Exclusion as the Loci of Origin. The Cleft palate-craniofacial journal : official publication of the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association 1 29437519
2025 Rab23 GTPase and IFT43 regulate the trafficking of prostaglandin E receptor 4 to primary cilia. Communications biology 0 41372612
2024 The inhibition roles of RAB23 gene in granulosa cell proliferation and progesterone synthesis of hen ovarian prehierarchical follicles. British poultry science 0 39036858
2019 Rab23 contributes to the progression of colorectal cancer via protein kinase B and extracellular signal-regulated kinase signaling pathways. Oncology letters 0 31423247

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