RHO Proteins in RAS Signaling and Transformation

Abstract

The important contributions of Ras to tumor progression and maintenance are now well established. These functions couple Ras to a variety of downstream activities that are mediated by multiple effector pathways. Among the critical Ras targets are the Rho GTPases, which have emerged as a family of proteins that plays an essential role in normal and neoplastic cellular growth, particularly in Ras-induced transformation. How Rho family GTPases relay Ras signaling to downstream components and what roles they serve in Ras-induced oncogenesis will be the subject of this chapter