HRAS Like Suppressor (HRASLS)

Ito et al. (2001) isolated a partial cDNA encoding the human homolog, designated HRASLS, by RT-PCR with mRNA extracted from renal cell carcinoma cells. They used 5-prime and 3-prime RACE to obtain a full-length HRASLS cDNA encoding a 168-amino acid protein that shares 83% sequence identity with the mouse protein. HRASLS contains 2 consensus sequence motifs, DXXG and NKXD, suggesting involvement in a ras-signaling pathway. DXXG is involved in binding to Mg(2+) and gamma-phosphate when GTP is bound, and NKXD is important for binding to the guanine ring. Northern blot analysis detected expression of a 1.1-kb transcript in skeletal muscles, testis, heart, brain, and thyroid. Expression was also detected at low levels in normal bone, but at high levels in osteosarcoma cells.