Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

The Retinoblastoma Gene01:20

The Retinoblastoma Gene

4.9K
Tumor suppressor genes are normal genes that can slow down cell division, repair DNA mistakes, or program the cells for apoptosis in case of irreparable damage. Hence, they play an essential role in preventing the proliferation of damaged cells.
The first-ever tumor suppressor gene called Rb was identified in retinoblastoma - a rare eye tumor in children. In inherited forms of the disease, a child inherits one defective copy of the Rb gene, which predisposes them to retinoblastoma. However,...
4.9K
The Retinoblastoma Gene01:20

The Retinoblastoma Gene

2.8K
2.8K
The Ras Gene02:38

The Ras Gene

7.5K
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...
7.5K
Rous Sarcoma Virus (RSV) and Cancer01:03

Rous Sarcoma Virus (RSV) and Cancer

6.6K
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...
6.6K
Rous Sarcoma Virus (RSV) and Cancer01:03

Rous Sarcoma Virus (RSV) and Cancer

6.0K
6.0K
Non-LTR Retrotransposons03:18

Non-LTR Retrotransposons

14.0K
As the name suggests, non-LTR retrotransposons lack the long terminal repeats characteristic of the LTR retrotransposons. Additionally, both LTR and non-LTR retrotransposons use distinct mechanisms of mobilization. Non-LTR retrotransposons are further divided into two classes - Long interspersed nuclear elements (LINEs) and short interspersed nuclear elements (SINEs), both of which occur abundantly in most mammals, including humans. Some of the active non-LTR retrotransposons in humans are L1...
14.0K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

The dark genome in cardiovascular medicine.

European heart journal·2026
Same author

Large distant deletion disrupts CDKN2A enhancer and predisposes to melanoma.

medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences·2026
Same author

De novo design and experimental characterization of bitter peptides.

NPJ science of food·2026
Same author

20th Anniversary of human-induced pluripotent stem cells and the role of microscopy.

Journal of microscopy·2026
Same author

GWAS meta-analysis provides new insights into uveal melanoma risk.

British journal of cancer·2026
Same author

Widespread DNA off-targeting confounds RNA chromatin occupancy studies.

Nature biotechnology·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 31, 2026

Spatial and Temporal Control of Murine Melanoma Initiation from Mutant Melanocyte Stem Cells
06:09

Spatial and Temporal Control of Murine Melanoma Initiation from Mutant Melanocyte Stem Cells

Published on: June 7, 2019

9.7K

Recurrent inactivating RASA2 mutations in melanoma.

Rand Arafeh1, Nouar Qutob1, Rafi Emmanuel1

  • 1Molecular Cell Biology Department, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.

Nature Genetics
|October 27, 2015
PubMed
Summary

The RASA2 gene, a tumor suppressor, is frequently mutated in melanoma, driving cancer growth and migration. Loss of RASA2 function in melanoma patients correlates with poorer survival rates.

More Related Videos

A Robust Discovery Platform for the Identification of Novel Mediators of Melanoma Metastasis
07:41

A Robust Discovery Platform for the Identification of Novel Mediators of Melanoma Metastasis

Published on: March 8, 2022

3.0K
Characterize Disease-related Mutants of RAF Family Kinases by Using a Set of Practical and Feasible Methods
07:49

Characterize Disease-related Mutants of RAF Family Kinases by Using a Set of Practical and Feasible Methods

Published on: July 17, 2019

6.6K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 31, 2026

Spatial and Temporal Control of Murine Melanoma Initiation from Mutant Melanocyte Stem Cells
06:09

Spatial and Temporal Control of Murine Melanoma Initiation from Mutant Melanocyte Stem Cells

Published on: June 7, 2019

9.7K
A Robust Discovery Platform for the Identification of Novel Mediators of Melanoma Metastasis
07:41

A Robust Discovery Platform for the Identification of Novel Mediators of Melanoma Metastasis

Published on: March 8, 2022

3.0K
Characterize Disease-related Mutants of RAF Family Kinases by Using a Set of Practical and Feasible Methods
07:49

Characterize Disease-related Mutants of RAF Family Kinases by Using a Set of Practical and Feasible Methods

Published on: July 17, 2019

6.6K

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Genetics
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Melanoma is a significant skin cancer with complex genetic underpinnings.
  • Ras GTPase-activating proteins (RasGAPs) play crucial roles in cellular signaling pathways.
  • Understanding novel tumor suppressor genes is vital for melanoma treatment strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify novel tumor suppressor genes involved in melanoma development.
  • To investigate the functional consequences of RASA2 mutations in melanoma.
  • To assess the clinical relevance of RASA2 inactivation in melanoma patients.

Main Methods:

  • Whole-exome sequencing of 501 melanoma samples.
  • Functional assays to assess the impact of RASA2 mutations on RAS activation, cell growth, and migration.
  • Analysis of RASA2 expression levels in human melanoma tissues.
  • Correlation of RASA2 status with patient survival data.

Main Results:

  • RASA2 was identified as a tumor suppressor gene mutated in 5% of melanomas.
  • Loss-of-function mutations in RASA2 led to increased RAS activation, promoting melanoma cell proliferation and migration.
  • RASA2 expression was lost in at least 30% of human melanomas.
  • Loss of RASA2 expression was significantly associated with reduced patient survival.

Conclusions:

  • RASA2 inactivation is a key driver event in melanoma pathogenesis.
  • RasGAPs, particularly RASA2, represent important targets for future melanoma therapies.
  • Restoring RASA2 function could be a potential therapeutic strategy for melanoma.