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Single-Molecule Analysis of Molecular Recognition Between Signaling Proteins RAS and RAF

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Cell Signaling Reactions

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Abstract

Single-molecule kinetic and dynamic analyses of the biochemical reactions in living cells are one of the most useful methods of investigating the molecular mechanisms of cellular reactions, especially those involved in signal transduction on the plasma membrane. Here, we focus on single-molecule analyses of the intracellular signaling from RAS to RAF, which occurs on the plasma membrane. RAS and RAF are cell signaling proteins that regulate various cellular behaviors, including cell fate determination for proliferation and differentiation. Using single-molecule techniques in living cells, including single-pair Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) detection and single-molecule tracking, we directly measured the elementary processes in the reactions between RAS and RAF, including the dissociation of RAS and RAF, the conformational changes in RAF, and the diffusion of RAS and RAF along the plasma membrane. Based on the results of these measurements, we discuss how the mutual molecular recognition between RAS and RAF facilitates accurate signal transduction.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank our collaborators, Tatsuo Shibata (Hiroshima University) and Toshio Yanagida (Osaka University), and the members of our laboratory.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cellular Informatics Laboratory, RIKEN ASI, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, 351-0114, Japan

    Kayo Hibino & Yasushi Sako

Authors
  1. Kayo Hibino
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  2. Yasushi Sako
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kayo Hibino .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Cellular Informatics Laboratory, RIKEN, Hirosawa 2-1, Wako, 351-0198, Japan

    Yasushi Sako

  2. Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Laboratories of Nanobiology, Osaka University, Yamadaoka 1-3, Suita, 565-871, Japan

    Masahiro Ueda

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Hibino, K., Sako, Y. (2011). Single-Molecule Analysis of Molecular Recognition Between Signaling Proteins RAS and RAF. In: Sako, Y., Ueda, M. (eds) Cell Signaling Reactions. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9864-1_3

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