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The role of p21ras in receptor tyrosine kinase signalling

1994; Elsevier BV; Volume: 1198; Issue: 2-3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/0304-419x(94)90010-8

1879-2561

Gijsbertus J. Pronk,

Cancer Mechanisms and Therapy

p21ras is a small GTPase that functions as a molecular switch in signal transduction from activated receptor tyrosine kinases to cellular targets. Recently, progress has been made in the elucidation of this signaling pathway. After a ligand binds to most, if not all, receptor tyrosine kinases, a guanine nucleotide exchange factor is activated, which brings p21ras in the GTP-bound form. This GTP-bound form of p21ras interacts with the protein kinase raf1 and induces the activation of a kinase cascade involving MEK and ERKs. Subsequently, cellular targets are phosphorylated. This p21ras signaling pathway is modulated by protein kinase C, which activates raf1 in a p21ras independent manner and, in certain cell types, by protein kinase A, which inactivates raf1.