The Influence of Intracellular Location on Function of Ras Proteins

Publisher Summary There are two ways that Ras proteins might come to be at multiple locations within a cell. Knowledge of the vehicles, regulation of departure, and speed of Ras movement are the key to understanding signaling in this scenario. Multiple studies give glimpses of both scenarios, and show that experimental manipulation of the location of introduced Ras proteins is a tactic that can alter Ras signaling. The major shift in our understanding that has come from the study of these trafficking events is that Ras proteins are not docile travelers; in response to mitogens, they can actively signal from both cell surface and internal membrane. The challenge ahead is to find ways to apply these driving lessons to endogenous Ras proteins and learn if this helps steer Ras away from oncogenic destinations. The experiments that begin to answer these questions are described in this chapter.