This gene encodes a member of the RHOGAP family. GAP (GTPase-activating) family proteins participate in signaling pathways that regulate cell processes involved in cytoskeletal changes. GAP proteins alternate between an active (GTP-bound) and inactive (GDP-bound) state based on the GTP:GDP ratio in the cell. Rare read-through transcripts, containing exons from the PRR5 gene which is located immediately upstream, led to the original description of this gene as encoding a RHOGAP protein containing the proline-rich domains characteristic of PRR5 proteins. Alternatively spliced variants encoding different isoforms have been described.[6]
Johnstone CN, Castellví-Bel S, Chang LM, Bessa X, Nakagawa H, Harada H, Sung RK, Piqué JM, Castells A, Rustgi AK (2004). "ARHGAP8 is a novel member of the RHOGAP family related to ARHGAP1/CDC42GAP/p50RHOGAP: mutation and expression analyses in colorectal and breast cancers". Gene. 336 (1): 59–71. doi:10.1016/j.gene.2004.01.025. PMID15225876.
Lua BL, Low BC (2005). "Filling the GAPs in cell dynamics control: BPGAP1 promotes cortactin translocation to the cell periphery for enhanced cell migration". Biochem. Soc. Trans. 32 (Pt 6): 1110–2. doi:10.1042/BST0321110. PMID15506981.
