Species predicted to react based on 100% sequence homology:Hamster, Chicken, Xenopus, Zebrafish, Dog
Specificity / Sensitivity
Ras Antibody detects endogenous levels of total K-Ras, H-Ras, and N-Ras. This antibody may also cross-react with R-Ras and M-Ras.
Source / Purification
Polyclonal antibodies are produced by immunizing animals with a synthetic peptide corresponding to residues close to the amino-terminus of human K-Ras. Antibodies are purified by protein A and peptide affinity chromatography.
Background
The 21 kDa guanine-nucleotide binding proteins (K-Ras, H-Ras and N-Ras) cycle between active (GTP-bound) and inactive (GDP-bound) forms (1). Receptor tyrosine kinases and G-protein-coupled receptors activate Ras, which then stimulates the Raf-MEK-MAPK pathway (2-4). GTPase-activating proteins (GAP) normally facilitate the inactivation of Ras. However, in 30% of human tumors, point mutations in Ras prevent the GAP-mediated inhibition of this pathway (5). The most common oncogenic Ras mutation found in tumors is Gly12 to Asp (G12D), which prevents Ras inactivation, possibly by increasing the overall rigidity of the protein (5,6).