Toda T, Broek D, Field J, Michaeli T, Cameron S, Nikawa J, Sass P, Birchmeier C, Powers S, Wigler M
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York 11724.
Princess Takamatsu Symp. 1986;17:253-60.
The RAS oncogenes comprise a family of genes found to be activated in perhaps 10-20% of human cancers and which have been highly conserved in evolution. Homologs of the mammalian RAS exist in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae (RAS1 and RAS2). We have shown that human ras proteins can complement the loss of RAS1 and RAS2 proteins in yeast, and hence are functionally homologous. Both human and yeast RAS proteins can stimulate the magnesium and guanine nucleotide-dependent adenylate cyclase activity present in yeast membranes. However, RAS proteins do not appear to stimulate adenylate cyclase in vertebrate cells. Our studies indicate that although RAS proteins are essential controlling elements of adenylate cyclase in yeast, they have other essential functions in that organisms. RAS proteins are themselves probably controlled by growth regulatory proteins.
RAS癌基因包含一个基因家族，在大约10%-20%的人类癌症中被发现处于激活状态，并且在进化过程中高度保守。哺乳动物RAS的同源物存在于酿酒酵母（RAS1和RAS2）中。我们已经表明，人类ras蛋白可以弥补酵母中RAS1和RAS2蛋白的缺失，因此在功能上是同源的。人类和酵母的RAS蛋白都可以刺激酵母细胞膜中存在的镁和鸟嘌呤核苷酸依赖性腺苷酸环化酶活性。然而，RAS蛋白似乎不会刺激脊椎动物细胞中的腺苷酸环化酶。我们的研究表明，虽然RAS蛋白是酵母中腺苷酸环化酶的必需调控元件，但它们在该生物体中还有其他重要功能。RAS蛋白本身可能受生长调节蛋白的控制。
