RDX

What is RDX Protein?

RDX, or radixin, is a protein in the ERM family, alongside ezrin and moesin. These proteins link the cell membrane to the actin cytoskeleton, providing structural support and maintaining the cell's shape. Radixin is particularly important in sensory cells, such as those in the inner ear, where it plays a crucial role in converting sound into electrical signals, essential for hearing. Disruptions in radixin can impact this process, potentially leading to hearing problems. It's a key player in cell movement and stability, and researchers are looking into its broader roles in other cellular functions and diseases.

What is the Function of RDX Protein?

Radixin, or RDX protein, primarily functions as a connector between the cell membrane and the actin cytoskeleton, forming part of the ERM protein family with ezrin and moesin. This connection is crucial for maintaining cell shape, structure, and stability. Radixin plays a significant role in facilitating cellular dynamics like movement and adhesion. In sensory cells, particularly those in the inner ear, radixin helps convert sound waves into electrical signals, which is essential for hearing. If radixin's function is disrupted, it can lead to issues with these processes, affecting cell stability and hearing ability.

RDX Related Signaling Pathway

Radixin, or RDX, is involved in several signaling pathways that are crucial for cellular function. One key pathway relates to its role in connecting the plasma membrane to the actin cytoskeleton, which impacts cell shape and stability. Through this connection, radixin influences pathways that control cell movement and division. In terms of sensory function, radixin is part of the signaling processes that allow hair cells in the inner ear to convert mechanical signals, like sound waves, into electrical impulses that the brain can interpret. Disruptions in these pathways can lead to problems with hearing or cell integrity. Researchers are also studying how radixin might interact with other pathways related to disease progression, including cancer, by affecting how cells communicate and adhere to each other.

RDX Related Diseases

Radixin, or RDX, is linked to a few health conditions, especially those involving hearing and cell stability. In the inner ear, where radixin is crucial for translating sound into electrical signals, mutations or dysfunctions can lead to hearing impairments or progressive hearing loss. Some genetic disorders affecting the ear have been traced back to problems with radixin, indicating its essential role in normal auditory function. Additionally, radixin's role in maintaining cell structure and linkage to the cytoskeleton means that any disruptions can potentially influence cancer progression. Abnormal radixin expression or function could affect how cancer cells move or stick together, impacting their spread. Understanding radixin’s involvement in these diseases helps in developing targeted therapies and improving diagnostic methods.

Bioapplications of RDX

Radixin, or RDX, holds promising potential in various bioapplications due to its critical role in cell structure and signaling. In medical research, understanding radixin's function can lead to advancements in treating hearing loss, as it plays a key role in sound signal conversion in the ear's sensory cells. By targeting radixin pathways, scientists hope to develop therapies to address auditory impairments or prevent progressive hearing damage. Beyond hearing, radixin's involvement in cancer progression offers another avenue for treatment development. By examining how radixin affects cell adhesion and movement, researchers aim to devise strategies to inhibit cancer spread. Additionally, in the field of tissue engineering, manipulating radixin-related pathways might enhance cell support structures, promoting better growth and function of engineered tissues. These bioapplications underscore the importance of radixin in both health and disease contexts, paving the way for innovative therapeutic solutions.

Case Study 1: Prasad S. et al. Commun Biol. 2020

Radixin, found in the inner ear's sensory cells, is crucial for hearing even if its exact role isn't fully clear. Using a fast imaging technique, we saw that blocking radixin led to lower sound-triggered electrical signals. While other measures showed slight increases in response, radixin seems essential for turning sound into electrical signals efficiently. Some people with RDX gene variants have normal hearing at birth, but it quickly worsens, escaping early detection. This suggests radixin is key for normal sound conversion in the ear.

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  Fig1. Three-dimensional reconstruction of the inner hair cell area shows absence of radixin label in the cell bodies of the inner hair cells.
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  Fig2. Scatter plot showing lack of relation between radixin and phalloidin pixel intensities.

Case Study 2: Verdys P. et al. EMBO J. 2024

The cellular cortex is vital for mechanical support, especially during cell division and migration. ERM proteins (ezrin, radixin, and moesin) usually connect the plasma membrane with the actin cytoskeleton in these processes. However, when researchers created macrophages missing one or all of these proteins, they still managed to form structures essential for migration—like filopodia and lamellipodia—and migrate effectively. Interestingly, macrophage migration and their cortex's mechanical properties weren't affected by the lack of ERM proteins, unlike other cell types. This suggests macrophages may have unique cortex adaptations for flexibility.

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  Fig3. ERM, p-ERM, ezrin, radixin, and moesin expression levels of human blood-derived monocytes, and human monocyte-derived macrophages.
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  Fig4. ERM, p-ERM, ezrin, radixin, and moesin expression levels of murine WT HoxB8 progenitors, and WT HoxB8 macrophages.

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  Fig1. Radixin is required for maintaining the mechanical stability of stereocilia, the function of mechanically sensitive ion channels, and hearing sensitivity. (Sonal Prasad, 2020)
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  Fig2. Radixin-induced cell signaling pathways. (Zhao Zhong Chong, 2024)

RDX has several biochemical functions, for example, . Some of the functions are cooperated with other proteins, some of the functions could acted by RDX itself. We selected most functions RDX had, and list some proteins which have the same functions with RDX. You can find most of the proteins on our site.

Function	Related Protein

RDX has direct interactions with proteins and molecules. Those interactions were detected by several methods such as yeast two hybrid, co-IP, pull-down and so on. We selected proteins and molecules interacted with RDX here. Most of them are supplied by our site. Hope this information will be useful for your research of RDX.

EZR;ITGB2;MCF2;ARHGDIA;1-phosphatidyl-1d-myo-inositol 3,5-bisphosphate;PLEK;PHLPP2;C1QTNF9;PSME3;ESR1;Ezr;Msn