E. Nanberg et B. Westermark, PLATELET-DERIVED GROWTH-FACTOR INCREASES THE TURNOVER OF GTP GDP ON RAS IN PERMEABILIZED FIBROBLASTS/, The Journal of biological chemistry, 268(24), 1993, pp. 18187-18194
The potent mitogen platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) induced a rap
id increase in Ras.GTP in permeabilized human and murine fibroblasts.
The effect was initiated by both PDGF-AA acting exclusively through PD
GF alpha-receptors, and by PDGF-BB interacting with both alpha- and be
ta-type receptors. The dose-response curves suggest that both receptor
types mediate the response. PDGF-dependent Ras activation, measured a
s increased formation of Ras.GTP, was rapid and reversible. At 37-degr
ees-C the effect had a duration of around 10 min. The PDGF-dependent i
ncrease in Ras.GTP was followed by a simultaneous increase in Ras.GDP.
Under no experimental condition could a relative increase in Ras.GTP
be detected. 0.5 muM GDP and 0.5 muM GTP were equally potent competing
for the formation of Ras.[alpha-P-32]GTP upon PDGF stimulation. Furth
ermore, when the basal nucleotide exchange rate on Ras was elevated by
omission of Mg2+ from the medium, PDGF had no further effect on the f
ormation of Ras.GTP. We therefore conclude that PDGF activates Ras thr
ough a mechanism leading to an increased nucleotide exchange on Ras.