title: Raf: the holy grail of Ras biology?
abstract: Ras proteins regulate cell growth and differentiation, and their mutation plays a major, direct role in causing human cancer. For years, their precise function has been a mystery. One of the pathways Ras controls has recently been identified. It consists of a cascade of kinases (Raf, MEK and MAP kinases) that transmits signals from the plasma membrane to the nucleus. The role of Ras is remarkably simple: it recruits Raf from the cytoplasm to the plasma membrane. Once in the membrane, Raf is activated and the kinase cascade is initiated. Is this the whole story?
authors.affiliation: ONYX Pharmaceuticals, Richmond, CA 94806, USA.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: McCormick