Rab GTPases as regulators of transport through endosomes

Early endocytic compartments are a highly dynamic, heterogeneous class of prelysosomal organelles that receive internalized proteins from the plasma membrane and sort these to various intracellular destinations. Several monomeric Rab GTPases are associated with the cytoplasmic surface of endosomes and regulate the dynamics of this endomembrane system. We discuss the endosomal Rab proteins and their effector proteins and how they might control vesicular transport through the endocytic pathway.