NRAS Research Reagents

NRAS Background

The NRAS gene provides instructions for making a protein called NRAS that is involved primarily in regulating cell division ^[1][2]. Through a process known as signal transduction, NRAS relays signals from outside the cell to the cell's nucleus. These signals instruct the cell to grow and divide (proliferate) or to mature and take on specialized functions (differentiate). The NRAS protein is a GTPase, which means it converts a molecule called GTP into another molecule called GDP. The NRAS protein acts as a switch, and it is turned on and off by the GTP and GDP molecules. To transmit signals, the NRAS protein must be turned on by binding to a molecule of GTP. The NRAS protein is inactive when it converts the GTP to GDP. When the protein is bound to GDP, it does not relay signals to the cell's nucleus. The NRAS gene belongs to a class of genes known as oncogenes belonging to the Ras family of oncogenes, which also includes two other genes: HRAS and KRAS. When mutated, oncogenes have the potential to cause normal cells to become cancerous. These proteins play important roles in cell division, cell differentiation, and apoptosis.

[1] Marshall CJ, Hall A, et al. A transforming gene present in human sarcoma cell lines [J]. Nature. 1982, 299 (5879): 171–3.
[2] Shimizu K, Goldfarb M, et al. Isolation and preliminary characterization of the transforming gene of a human neuroblastoma cell line [J]. PNAS. 1983, 80 (2): 383–7.