title: Bcl-2 associates with the ras-related protein R-ras p23.
abstract: Apoptosis is an important but poorly understood mechanism of cell regulation. Growth factor deprivation can trigger apoptosis in a variety of cells, suggesting the existence of a signal transduction pathway responding to external signals and leading to apoptosis. Overexpression of the proto-oncogene bcl-2 can override these signals and block apoptosis, indicating that the bcl-2 protein (Bcl-2) is an important component of the apoptotic response. The identification of Bcl-2-binding proteins might help explain how Bcl-2 acts to regulate apoptosis. Here we use the yeast two-hybrid system to show that the human ras-related protein R-ras p23 (ref 16-18) binds to Bcl-2. This association is also detected in immunoprecipitates from human cell extracts. The association requires full-length Bcl-2 but the C-terminal 60 amino acids of R-ras p23 are sufficient for the interaction. These results provide evidence of a putative component of a signal transduction pathway involved in the regulation of apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: ONYX Pharmaceuticals, Richmond, California 94806.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Fernandez-Sarabia
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Bischoff
mesh_terms: D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D011485:Protein Binding; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras) / Q000378:metabolism*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: C000715470:MAS1 protein, human; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C501009:HRAS protein, human; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)