New mechanism for cancer progression discovered by UNC and Harvard researchers

University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and Harvard researchers have discovered an alternative mechanism for activating Ras that does not require mutation or hormonal stimulus. In healthy cells, Ras transmits hormone signals into the cell that prompt responses such as cell growth and the development of organs and tissues. A mutation on the RAS gene can chronically activate those signals, leading to tumor initiation and progression. In an article published on-line in a November issue of Nature Structural and Molecular Biology, the UNC and Harvard teams discovered that modification of Ras at a specific site with a small protein known as ubiquitin can also lock Ras into an active signaling state. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Baker R, et al. Site-specific monoubiquitination activates Ras by impeding GTPase-activating protein function. Nat Struct Mol Biol. 2012 Nov 25. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23178454