title: Identification and preliminary characterization of protein-cysteine farnesyltransferase.
abstract: Ras proteins must be isoprenylated at a conserved cysteine residue near the carboxyl terminus (Cys-186 in mammalian Ras p21 proteins) in order to exert their biological activity. Previous studies indicate that an intermediate in the mevalonate pathway, most likely farnesyl pyrophosphate, is the donor of this isoprenyl group. Inhibition of mevalonate synthesis reverts the abnormal phenotypes induced by the mutant RAS2Val-19 gene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and blocks the maturation of Xenopus oocytes induced by an oncogenic Ras p21 protein of human origin. These results have raised the possibility of using inhibitors of the mevalonate pathway to block the transforming properties of ras oncogenes. Unfortunately, mevalonate is a precursor of various end products essential to mammalian cells, such as dolichols, ubiquinones, heme A, and cholesterol. In this study, we describe an enzymatic activity(ies) capable of catalyzing the farnesylation of unprocessed Ras p21 proteins in vitro at the correct (Cys-186) residue. This farnesylating activity is heat-labile, requires Mg2+ or Mn2+ ions, is linear with time and with enzyme concentration, and is present in all mammalian cell lines and tissues tested. Gel filtration analysis of a partially purified preparation of protein farnesyltransferase revealed two peaks of activity at 250-350 kDa and 80-130 kDa. Availability of an in vitro protein farnesyltransferase assay should be useful in screening for potential inhibitors of ras oncogene function that will not interfere with other aspects of the mevalonate pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, Squibb Institute for Medical Research, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Manne
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tobin
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: O'Rourke
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Virgilio
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Meyers
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kurz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Resh
authors.forename: H F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Kung
mesh_terms: D019883:Alkyl and Aryl Transferases; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D011905:Genes, ras; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008274:Magnesium / Q000494:pharmacology; D008345:Manganese / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D009928:Organ Specificity; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras) / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D013552:Swine; D014166:Transferases / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D008345:Manganese; D014166:Transferases; D019883:Alkyl and Aryl Transferases; C064911:p21(ras) farnesyl-protein transferase; C501009:HRAS protein, human; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras); D008274:Magnesium