title: Unusual interplay of two types of Ras activators, RasGRP and SOS, establishes sensitive and robust Ras activation in lymphocytes.
abstract: Ras activation is crucial for lymphocyte development and effector function. Both T and B lymphocytes contain two types of Ras activators: ubiquitously expressed SOS and specifically expressed Ras guanyl nucleotide-releasing protein (RasGRP). The need for two activators is enigmatic since both are activated following antigen receptor stimulation. In addition, RasGRP1 appears to be dominant over SOS in an unknown manner. The crystal structure of SOS provides a clue: an unusual allosteric Ras-GTP binding pocket. Here, we demonstrate that RasGRP orchestrates Ras signaling in two ways: (i) by activating Ras directly and (ii) by facilitating priming of SOS with RasGTP that binds the allosteric pocket. Priming enhances SOS' in vivo activity and creates a positive RasGTP-SOS feedback loop that functions as a rheostat for Ras activity. Without RasGRP1, initiation of this loop is impaired because SOS' catalyst is its own product (RasGTP)-hence the dominance of RasGRP1. Introduction of an active Ras-like molecule (RasV12C40) in T- and B-cell lines can substitute for RasGRP function and enhance SOS' activity via its allosteric pocket. The unusual RasGRP-SOS interplay results in sensitive and robust Ras activation that cannot be achieved with either activator alone. We hypothesize that this mechanism enables lymphocytes to maximally respond to physiologically low levels of stimulation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of California-San Francisco, 513 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94143-0795, USA.
authors.forename: Jeroen P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Roose
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mollenauer
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Tomohiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kurosaki
authors.forename: Arthur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Weiss
mesh_terms: D000494:Allosteric Regulation; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D001665:Binding Sites; D020134:Catalytic Domain; D002460:Cell Line; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D020662:Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D009154:Mutation; D011485:Protein Binding; D020837:SOS1 Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D020664:Son of Sevenless Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D018631:ras Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D020662:Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors; C491790:RASGRP1 protein, human; D020837:SOS1 Protein; D020664:Son of Sevenless Proteins; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases; D018631:ras Proteins