A ras-related gene from the lower eukaryote Dictyostelium that is highly conserved relative to the human rap genes

The cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum contains two ras genes, DdrasG and Ddras that are differentially expressed during development. We have characterized a gene that hybridized to both Ddras and DdrasG under low, but not under high stringency conditions. The deduced amino acid sequence is highly conserved with respect to the human rap (Krev-1, smg21) proteins and the corresponding gene has been designated Ddrap1. The Ddrap1 gene is expressed at all stages during development but is expressed maximally during the aggregation and culmination periods when the expression of Ddras and DdrasG is declining. During vegetative growth and early development Ddrap1 cDNA hybridizes to a single mRNA of 1.1 kb. As development progresses the level of this mRNA declines and messages of 1.0 and 1.3 kb appear.