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In vitro analysis of CAPRI Ras GTPase-activating protein activity

Reference	BBS/E/B/00001184
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Dr Peter John Lockyer
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	Babraham Institute
Department	Babraham Institute Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	486,511
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/12/2002
End date	27/01/2005
Duration	26 months

Abstract

Cells need to sense changes in their environment in order to survive and grow. An important mechanism involves the communication of a signal from the cell surface into the cell. Ras proteins are located on cell membranes and serve a critical role in receiving and decoding signals from cell surface receptors. They are binary switches, responding to receptor stimulation by switching to an active conformation that signals to effector pathways to regulating gene expression. Ras genes are mutated in human cancers and have been shown to induce changes associated with the tumorigenic state; therefore they are described as proto-oncogenes. They are mutated to an active form (in which the switch is permanently on) in up to 30 percent of human cancers. Understanding how the Ras switch is activated and inhibited is therefore very important for human disease. We recently discovered a novel inhibitor of the switch called CAPRI that promotes the off state of Ras in a Ca2+-dependent manner. We now wish to discover more about the intrinsic function of CAPRI. This will lead to a greater understanding of the mechanisms by which Ras is regulated during receptor-stimulated Ca2+ signals.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Biochemistry & Cell Biology (BCB)
Research Topics	X – not assigned to a current Research Topic
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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