Display Settings:

Format

Send to:

Choose Destination
    EMBO Rep. 2007 May;8(5):477-82. Epub 2007 Mar 23.

    Cyclic AMP signalling in Dictyostelium: G-proteins activate separate Ras pathways using specific RasGEFs.

    Source

    Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, 3540-2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada.

    Abstract

    In general, mammalian Ras guanine nucleotide exchange factors (RasGEFs) show little substrate specificity, although they are often thought to regulate specific pathways. Here, we provide in vitro and in vivo evidence that two RasGEFs can each act on specific Ras proteins. During Dictyostelium development, RasC and RasG are activated in response to cyclic AMP, with each regulating different downstream functions: RasG regulates chemotaxis and RasC is responsible for adenylyl cyclase activation. RasC activation was abolished in a gefA- mutant, whereas RasG activation was normal in this strain, indicating that RasGEFA activates RasC but not RasG. Conversely, RasC activation was normal in a gefR- mutant, whereas RasG activation was greatly reduced, indicating that RasGEFR activates RasG. These results were confirmed by the finding that RasGEFA and RasGEFR specifically released GDP from RasC and RasG, respectively, in vitro. This RasGEF target specificity provides a mechanism for one upstream signal to regulate two downstream processes using independent pathways.

    PMID:
    17380187
    [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
    PMCID:
    PMC1866193
    Free PMC Article

    Images from this publication.See all images (4) Free text

    Figure 1
    Figure 3
    Figure 2
    Figure 4

      Supplemental Content

      Icon for Nature Publishing Group Icon for PubMed Central

      Save items

      loading

      Recent activity

      Your browsing activity is empty.

      Activity recording is turned off.

      Turn recording back on

      See more...
      Write to the Help Desk