Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 5, 2026
07:49
Characterize Disease-related Mutants of RAF Family Kinases by Using a Set of Practical and Feasible Methods
Published on: July 17, 2019
Oncogenic synergism between ErbB1, nucleolin, and mutant Ras
Keren Farin1, Sari Schokoroy, Roni Haklai
1Department of Neurobiology, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv, Israel.
Cancer Research
|January 25, 2011
Summary
Nucleolin binds to Ras and ErbB1 (EGFR) in cancer cells, promoting tumor growth. Targeting nucleolin may inhibit cancers driven by these oncogenes.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Cell Signaling
Background:
- ErbB receptor family alterations and Ras mutations drive cancer.
- Mutant Ras can activate ErbB receptors independently of ligands.
- Nucleolin binds K-Ras and ErbB receptors, enhancing activation.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the functional significance of nucleolin, Ras, and ErbB interactions in cancer pathogenesis.
- Determine if nucleolin interacts with Ras and ErbB1 in cancer cells.
- Assess the role of these interactions in cancer cell growth and tumor formation.
Main Methods:
- In vivo co-immunoprecipitation to detect protein interactions.
- Confocal microscopy for subcellular localization.
- Cell proliferation assays (anchorage-independent growth).
- In vivo tumor xenograft models.
Main Results:
- Endogenous nucleolin interacts with Ras and ErbB1 (EGFR) in cancer cells.
- Nucleolin's C-terminus binds all Ras isoforms and ErbB1.
- Activated Ras enhances nucleolin-ErbB1 interaction and stabilizes ErbB1.
- Nucleolin, Ras, and ErbB1 synergistically promote anchorage-independent growth and tumor growth.
Conclusions:
- Nucleolin acts as a scaffold, linking Ras and ErbB1 to promote cancer.
- Activated Ras facilitates nucleolin-ErbB1 complex formation.
- Targeting nucleolin offers a potential strategy for ErbB- and Ras-driven cancers.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
02:38The Ras Gene
The Ras-gene-encoded proteins are regulators of signaling pathways controlling cell proliferation, differentiation, or cell survival. The Ras-gene family in humans constitutes three primary members—the HRas, NRas, and KRas. These genes code for four functionally distinct yet closely related proteins—the HRas, NRas, KRas4A, and KRas4B. The involvement of mutant Ras genes in human cancer was first discovered in 1982 and is among the most common causes of human tumorigenesis.
Ras is a superfamily...
Ras is a superfamily...
02:23Abnormal Proliferation
Under normal conditions, most adult cells remain in a non-proliferative state unless stimulated by internal or external factors to replace lost cells. Abnormal cell proliferation is a condition in which the cell's growth exceeds and is uncoordinated with normal cells. In such situations, cell division persists in the same excessive manner even after cessation of the stimuli, leading to persistent tumors. The tumor arises from the damaged cells that replicate to pass the damage to the daughter...
01:33Cancer-Critical Genes I: Proto-oncogenes
Genes usually encode proteins necessary for the proper functioning of a healthy cell. Mutations can often cause changes to the gene expression pattern, thereby altering the phenotype.
When the function of certain critical genes, especially those involved in cell cycle regulation and cell growth signaling cascades, gets disrupted, it upsets the cell cycle progression. Such cells with unchecked cell cycles start proliferating uncontrollably and eventually develop into tumors.
Such genes that act...
When the function of certain critical genes, especially those involved in cell cycle regulation and cell growth signaling cascades, gets disrupted, it upsets the cell cycle progression. Such cells with unchecked cell cycles start proliferating uncontrollably and eventually develop into tumors.
Such genes that act...
01:33Cancer-Critical Genes I: Proto-oncogenes
Genes usually encode proteins necessary for the proper functioning of a healthy cell. Mutations can often cause changes to the gene expression pattern, thereby altering the phenotype.
When the function of certain critical genes, especially those involved in cell cycle regulation and cell growth signaling cascades, gets disrupted, it upsets the cell cycle progression. Such cells with unchecked cell cycles start proliferating uncontrollably and eventually develop into tumors.
Such genes that act...
When the function of certain critical genes, especially those involved in cell cycle regulation and cell growth signaling cascades, gets disrupted, it upsets the cell cycle progression. Such cells with unchecked cell cycles start proliferating uncontrollably and eventually develop into tumors.
Such genes that act...
02:38The Ras Gene
The Ras-gene-encoded proteins are regulators of signaling pathways controlling cell proliferation, differentiation, or cell survival. The Ras-gene family in humans constitutes three primary members—the HRas, NRas, and KRas. These genes code for four functionally distinct yet closely related proteins—the HRas, NRas, KRas4A, and KRas4B. The involvement of mutant Ras genes in human cancer was first discovered in 1982 and is among the most common causes of human tumorigenesis.
Ras is a superfamily...
Ras is a superfamily...
01:03Rous Sarcoma Virus (RSV) and Cancer
Rous Sarcoma virus or RSV was discovered by F. Peyton Rous in the year 1911 as a filterable transmissible agent that could cause tumors in chickens. He won a Nobel Prize for this discovery in 1966. His experiments clearly demonstrated that some cancers could be caused by infectious agents and led to the discovery of many more cancer-causing viruses in animals as well as humans.
RSV is a retrovirus that contains two copies of a plus-strand RNA genome. Its genome consists of four main open...
RSV is a retrovirus that contains two copies of a plus-strand RNA genome. Its genome consists of four main open...