title: Oncogenic B-Raf mutations: crystal clear at last.
abstract: The Raf/MEK/ERK pathway is a conserved signaling module controlling cell growth, proliferation, apoptosis, and differentiation. Constitutive activation of this pathway is involved in malignant transformation by several oncogenes, most notably, Ras. The recent discovery by Davies et al. of somatic mutations in the B-RAF gene in human tumors has generated enormous interest in how Raf kinases are regulated and how mutations in B-RAF lead to transformation. A recent study in Cell by Wan et al. reports the crystal structure of the B-Raf kinase domain, providing important new insights into these questions.
authors.affiliation: The Beatson Institute for Cancer Research, Garscube Estate, Switchback Road, Bearsden, Glasgow G61 1BD, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Amardeep S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Dhillon
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kolch
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D020134:Catalytic Domain / Q000235:genetics; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D009154:Mutation; D009857:Oncogenes / Q000235:genetics*; D048493:Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf; D019908:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-raf / Q000235:genetics*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D048493:Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf; D019908:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-raf