Rho GTPase-activating protein 17

ARHGAP17 (Rho GTPase-activating protein 17) is a Rho family GTPase regulator that functions as a GTPase-activating protein for CDC42 and RAC1, converting them to inactive GDP-bound states (UniProt: Q68EM7). It plays a central role in maintaining epithelial tight junctions and apical polarity by regulating the uptake and trafficking of polarity proteins, and participates in calcium-dependent exocytosis through reorganization of cortical actin filaments.

ARHGAP17 is expressed in human tissues and operates within signaling pathways governing cell polarity and junction integrity. No disease associations are documented in the UniProt record, though the protein's role in cellular organization and membrane trafficking suggests broader biological significance in epithelial homeostasis.

In Alzheimer's Disease, ARHGAP17 shows elevated abundance in post-mortem AD brain tissue compared to age-matched controls (Chaparral AD proteomics), with a mean log2 fold-change of 0.29 across measured fractions. This upregulation may reflect compensatory mechanisms or disease-associated remodeling of cellular polarity and membrane dynamics in AD pathology.