Yeast Genetics and Molecular Biology 1996
Madison, Wisconsin
August 1996


Name: Bartels, Doug J
Mailing Address: 51 Newton Road, Iowa City, IA 52242
Email Address: djbartel@blue.weeg.uiowa.edu
Phone and Fax numbers: 319-335-7895, 319-335-9570

Identification of new proteins involved in the localization and function of yeast Ras proteins

D. Mitchell, D. Bartels, T. Ault, R. Deschenes. Dept. of Biochemistry, University of Iowa

The function of all Ras proteins requires CaaX (Cys-aliphatic-aliphatic-X) box processing. The steps include farnesylation, removal of the three terminal residues (-aaX), carboxymethylation and palmitoylation. To further define the role of C-terminal modifications on Ras function a series of C-terminal RAS2 mutants were constructed. It has been possible to construct a non-prenylated Ras proteins that are functional, albeit at a reduced level of activity. The CaaX-box defective RAS mutants were used in a screen to identify new proteins required for Ras protein function. Five complementation groups were identified. One mutant,erf4 is allelic to SHR5 (Jung et al Mol. Cell. Biol. 15, 1333-1342, 1995), previously identified as a suppressor of a dominant RAS2 mutant. A second mutant, erf2, encodes a novel 41 kDa protein with 4 predicted transmembrane domains and a novel cysteine rich motif in the cytoplasmic loop with sequence similarity to AKR1 (Kao et al. Mol. Cell. Biol. 16, 168-178, 1996) and a family of uncharacterized proteins in S. cerevisiae, S. pombe, and C. elegans. Genetic and physical interactions between ERF2 and RAS2 will be presented.