BackgroundInformation | Ras,aproto-oncogene,isasmallG-proteinthathas3primaryisoforms(H-Ras,N-Ras,andK-Ras)thatdifferinthereapproximately20C-terminalaminoacids.H-RaswasfirstdiscoveredasatransformingproducttheretrovirusHarveymurinevirusandK-RasofKirtensarcomavirus.Rasisaheavilystudiedtargetofbothacademicandpharmaceuticalresearchbecauseofitsimplicationsinvariouspathwaysanddiseasesaswellasbeingmutatedinalargenumberofhumancancers.RasismostnotablytheactivatoroftheErk/MAPKkinasepathwayasactivatorofRaf,aswellasanactivatorofPI3Kinase(PI3K).Initsoncogenic,mutatedstate,RasisunabletohydrolyzeGTPtoGDP,thusstayinginanactivestateandactivatingnumerouspathwaysincludingtheMAPKpathwaythroughitsactivationofRaf,butalsoothersaswellthatincludePI3KinaseandRalGDS.OnepaththatthepharmaceuticalindustryhastakentocontrolRasanditsactivityisbyfindingwhatsomeconsideritsAchilles’heel.Foritsactivation,Rasmustlocalizetotheplasmamembrane,butinterestingly,itlacksatransmembranedomain.Toachievethis,Rasmustfirstundergoapost-translationalmodification(PTM)knownasprenylationorgeranylationatitsC-terminalCAAXmotif.Forthistotakeplace,acontrolledthreestepprocessmustoccur.ThefirststepintheprocessistheprenylationorgeranylationoftheCintheCAAXmotifthatisinitiatedbythecovalentattachmentoffarnesylgroupstothecysteinethatiscatalyzedbytheheterodimerenzymesfarnesyltransferases??and?.Afterthismodification,the–aaXofthemotifisproteolyticallyremovedviaRce1(RasConvertingEnzyme1),amembraneassociatedendoprotease,byamechanismthatisstillnotfullyunderstood.Finally,theC-terminalprenylcysteineisnowmethlylatedbyICMT(IsoprenylcysteineCarboxymethylTransferase).ThesedrugshaveyettopassclinicaltrialsthoughandthereisdoubtthattheywilleverbesuccessfulintreatingtumorsassociatedwithRasactivation. |