TY - JOUR
T1 - ARHI is a Ras-related small G-protein with a novel N-terminal extension that inhibits growth of ovarian and breast cancers
AU - Luo, Robert Z.
AU - Fang, Xianjun
AU - Marquez, Rebecca
AU - Liu, Shu Ying
AU - Mills, Gordon B.
AU - Liao, Warren S.L.
AU - Yu, Yinhua
AU - Bast, Robert C.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported in part by National Institutes of Health Grants CA64602 (to RCB) and CA80957 (to YY); a Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Grant (to YY); and an MD Anderson Institutional Foundation Grant (to RZL).
PY - 2003/5/15
Y1 - 2003/5/15
N2 - Our group recently identified Ras homolog member I (ARHI), a novel maternally imprinted tumor suppressor gene that encodes a 26kDa GTP-binding protein with high homology to Ras and Rap. Unlike other Ras family members, ARHI exhibits several unusual structural and functional properties. ARHI contains a unique 34 amino-acid extension at the N-terminus, and differs from Ras in residues critical for GTPase activity and in its putative effector domain. Like Ras, ARHI can bind to GTP with high affinity but has low intrinsic GTPase activity. In addition, while Ras is an oncogene, ARHI functions as an inhibitor for cell growth. 32Phosphorus labeling showed that ARHI is maintained in a constitutively activated GTP-bound state in resting cells, possibly because of impaired GTPase activity. ARHI is associated at the cell membrane through its prenylation at the C-terminal cysteine residue. Mutation of the conserved CAAX box at the C-terminus led to a loss of its membrane association and a decreased ability to inhibit cell growth. Conversion of Ser51 to Asn decreased GTP binding and reduced ARHI's biological activity. Mutation of Ala46 to Val increased the ability of ARHI to inhibit cell growth, associated with a further decrease of its intrinsic GTPase activity. Moreover, conversion of residues in ARHI that are conserved in the Ras family for GTPase activity partially restored the GTPase activity in ARHI. Most strikingly, deletion of ARHI's unique N-terminal extension nearly abolished its inhibitory effect on cell growth, suggesting its importance in ARHI's inhibitory function. Thus, ARHI is a unique Ras family member that retains basic small GTPase function, but exhibits many unusual features. In contrast to most other Ras family members, ARHI has a long N-terminal extension, modest GTPase activity, and constitutive GTP binding in resting cells. Furthermore, unlike the Ras oncogene, ARHI inhibits cell growth, and loss of its expression in cells may contribute to the development of breast and ovarian cancers.
AB - Our group recently identified Ras homolog member I (ARHI), a novel maternally imprinted tumor suppressor gene that encodes a 26kDa GTP-binding protein with high homology to Ras and Rap. Unlike other Ras family members, ARHI exhibits several unusual structural and functional properties. ARHI contains a unique 34 amino-acid extension at the N-terminus, and differs from Ras in residues critical for GTPase activity and in its putative effector domain. Like Ras, ARHI can bind to GTP with high affinity but has low intrinsic GTPase activity. In addition, while Ras is an oncogene, ARHI functions as an inhibitor for cell growth. 32Phosphorus labeling showed that ARHI is maintained in a constitutively activated GTP-bound state in resting cells, possibly because of impaired GTPase activity. ARHI is associated at the cell membrane through its prenylation at the C-terminal cysteine residue. Mutation of the conserved CAAX box at the C-terminus led to a loss of its membrane association and a decreased ability to inhibit cell growth. Conversion of Ser51 to Asn decreased GTP binding and reduced ARHI's biological activity. Mutation of Ala46 to Val increased the ability of ARHI to inhibit cell growth, associated with a further decrease of its intrinsic GTPase activity. Moreover, conversion of residues in ARHI that are conserved in the Ras family for GTPase activity partially restored the GTPase activity in ARHI. Most strikingly, deletion of ARHI's unique N-terminal extension nearly abolished its inhibitory effect on cell growth, suggesting its importance in ARHI's inhibitory function. Thus, ARHI is a unique Ras family member that retains basic small GTPase function, but exhibits many unusual features. In contrast to most other Ras family members, ARHI has a long N-terminal extension, modest GTPase activity, and constitutive GTP binding in resting cells. Furthermore, unlike the Ras oncogene, ARHI inhibits cell growth, and loss of its expression in cells may contribute to the development of breast and ovarian cancers.
KW - ARHI
KW - GTP-binding protein
KW - GTPase
KW - Mutagenesis
KW - Protein function
KW - Ras superfamily
KW - Tumor suppressor gene
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U2 - 10.1038/sj.onc.1206380
DO - 10.1038/sj.onc.1206380
M3 - Article
C2 - 12771940
AN - SCOPUS:0038697607
SN - 0950-9232
VL - 22
SP - 2897
EP - 2909
JO - Oncogene
JF - Oncogene
IS - 19
ER -