Ran GTPase: A Key Player in Tumor Progression and Metastasis

Ran (Ras-related nuclear protein) GTPase is a member of the Ras superfamily. Like all the GTPases, Ran cycles between an active (GTP-bound) and inactive (GDP-bound) state. However, Ran lacks the CAAX motif at its C-terminus, a feature of other small GTPases that ensures a plasma membrane localizatio...

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Published inFrontiers in cell and developmental biology Vol. 8; p. 345
Main Authors Boudhraa, Zied, Carmona, Euridice, Provencher, Diane, Mes-Masson, Anne-Marie
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Frontiers Media S.A 26.05.2020
Subjects
cancer
Cell and Developmental Biology
metastasis
proliferation
Ran GTPase
survival
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Summary:Ran (Ras-related nuclear protein) GTPase is a member of the Ras superfamily. Like all the GTPases, Ran cycles between an active (GTP-bound) and inactive (GDP-bound) state. However, Ran lacks the CAAX motif at its C-terminus, a feature of other small GTPases that ensures a plasma membrane localization, and largely traffics between the nucleus and the cytoplasm. Ran regulates nucleo-cytoplasmic transport of molecules through the nuclear pore complex and controls cell cycle progression through the regulation of microtubule polymerization and mitotic spindle formation. The disruption of Ran expression has been linked to cancer at different levels – from cancer initiation to metastasis. In the present review, we discuss the contribution of Ran in the acquisition of three hallmarks of cancer, namely, proliferative signaling, resistance to apoptosis, and invasion/metastasis, and highlight its prognostic value in cancer patients. In addition, we discuss the use of this GTPase as a therapeutic target in cancer.
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Reviewed by: Kamalakannan Rajasekaran, Genentech, Inc., United States; Lu-Shiun Her, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan
Edited by: Uday Kishore, Brunel University London, United Kingdom
This article was submitted to Signaling, a section of the journal Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology
ISSN:2296-634X
2296-634X
DOI:10.3389/fcell.2020.00345