Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Review Article
  • Published:

The GTPase superfamily: conserved structure and molecular mechanism

Nature volume 349, pages 117–127 (1991)Cite this article

Abstract

GTPases are conserved molecular switches, built according to a common structural design. Rapidly accruing knowledge of individual GTPases—crystal structures, biochemical properties, or results of molecular genetic experiments—support and generate hypotheses relating structure to function in other members of the diverse family of GTPases.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Jurnak, F. Science 230, 32–36 (1985).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. La Cour, T. F. M., Nyborg, J., Thirup, S. & Clark, B. F. C. EMBO J. 4, 2385–2388 (1985).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  3. de Vos, A. M. et al. Science 239, 888–893 (1988).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Pai, E. F. et al. Nature 341, 209–214 (1989).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Milburn, M. V. et al. Science 247, 939–945 (1990).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Brünger, A. T. et al. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 87, 4849–4853 (1990).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. Pai, E. F. et al. EMBO J. 9, 2351–2359 (1990).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  8. Bourne, H. R., Sanders, D. A. & McCormick, F. Nature 348, 125–132 (1990).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Jurnak, F., Heffron, S. & Bergmann, E. Cell 60, 525–528 (1990).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Romero, G., Chau, V. & Biltonen, R. L. J. biol. Chem. 260, 6167–6174 (1985).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Stryer, L. & Bourne, H. R. A. Rev. Cell Biol. 2, 391–419 (1986).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Powers, S., O'Neill, K. & Wigler, M. Molec. Cell. Biol. 9, 390–395 (1989).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  13. Hwang, Y. W., Sanchez, A. & Miller, D. L. J. biol. Chem. 264, 8304–8309 (1989).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Kaziro, Y. Biochim. biophys. Acta 505, 95–127 (1978).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Dholakia, J. N. & Wahba, A. J. J. biol. Chem. 264, 546–550 (1989).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Gilman, A. G. A. Rev. Biochem. 56, 615–649 (1987).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Neer, E. J. & Clapham, D. E. Nature 333, 129–134 (1988).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Birnbaumer, L. et al. Kidney Internatn. (Suppl.) 32, S14–S37 (1987).

    Google Scholar 

  19. Freissmuth, M., Casey, P. J. & Gilman, A. G. FASEB J. 3, 2125–2131 (1989).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Lefkowitz, R. J. & Caron, M. G. J. biol. Chem. 263, 4993–4996 (1988).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Ross, E. M. Neuron 3, 141–152 (1989).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Fung, B. K.-K. J. biol. Chem. 258, 10495–10502 (1983).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Fung, B. K.-K. & Nash, C. R. J. biol. Chem. 258, 10503–10510 (1983).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. FLorio, V. A. & Sternweis, P. C. J. biol. Chem. 264, 3909–3915 (1989).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Higashijima, T., Ferguson, K. M., Sternweis, P. C., Smigel, M. D. & Gilman, A. G. J. biol. Chem. 262, 762–766 (1987).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Cerione, R. A. et al. Nature 318, 293–295 (1985).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Navon, S. E. & Fung, B. K.-K. J. biol. Chem. 262, 15746–15751 (1987).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Neer, E. J., Pulsifer, L. & Wolf, L. G. J. biol. Chem. 263, 8996–9000 (1988).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Navon, S. E. & Fung, B. K.-K. J. biol. Chem. 263, 489–496 (1988).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Masters, S. B., Stroud, R. M. & Bourne, H. R. Protein Engng 1, 47–54 (1986).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Schlichting, I. et al. Nature 345, 309–315 (1990).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Feuerstein, J., Goody, R. S. & Webb, M. R. J. biol. Chem. 264, 6188–6190 (1989).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Ahnn, J., March, P. E., Takiff, H. E. & Inouye, M. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 83, 8849–8853 (1986).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Bender, A. & Pringle, J. R. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 86, 9976–9980 (1989).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Barbacid, M. A. Rev. Biochem. 56, 779–827 (1987).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Krengel, U. et al. Cell 62, 539–548 (1990).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Neal, S. E., Eccleston, J. F., Hall, A. & Webb, M. R. J. biol. Chem. 263, 19718–19722 (1988).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Neal, S. E., Eccleston, J. F. & Webb, M. R. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 87, 3562–3565 (1990).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Schlichting, I. et al. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 86, 7687–7690 (1989).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Miller, R. T., Masters, S. B., Sullivan, K. A., Beiderman, B. & Bourne, H. R. Nature 334, 712–715 (1988).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Hwang, Y. W., Jurnak, F. & Miller, D. L. in The Guanine-Nucleotide Binding Proteins: Common Structural and Functional Properties (eds Bosch, I., Kraal, B. & Parmeggiani, A.) 77–85 (Plenum, New York, 1989).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  42. Hurley, J. B., Simon, M. I., Teplow, D. B., Robishaw, J. D. & Gilman, A. G. Science 226, 860–862 (1984).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Graziano, M. & Gilman, A. G. J. biol. Chem. 264, 15475–15482 (1989).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Masters, S. B. et al. J. biol. Chem. 264, 15467–15474 (1989).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  45. Landis, C. A. et al. Nature 340, 692–696 (1989).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  46. Der, C. J., Finkel, T. & Cooper, G. M. Cell 44, 167–176 (1986).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  47. Bourne, H. R., Landis, C. A. & Masters, S. B. Proteins 6, 222–230 (1989).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  48. Lyons, J. et al. Science 249, 655–659 (1990).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  49. Van Dop, C., Tsubokawa, M., Bourne, H. R. & Ramachandran, J. J. biol. Chem. 259, 696–698 (1984).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  50. Cassel, D. & Pfeuffer, T. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 75, 2669–2673 (1978).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  51. Abood, M. E., Hurley, J. B., Pappone, M.-C., Bourne, H. R. & Stryer, L. J. biol. Chem. 257, 10540–10543 (1982).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  52. Freissmuth, M. & Gilman, A. G. J. biol. Chem. 264, 21907–21914 (1989).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  53. Masters, S. B. et al. Science 241, 448–451 (1988).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  54. Woon, C. W., Soparkar, S., Heasley, L. & Johnson, G. L. J. biol. Chem. 264, 5687–5693 (1989).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  55. Winslow, J. W., Bradley, J. D., Smith, J. A. & Neer, E. J. J. biol. Chem. 262, 4501–4507 (1987).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  56. Sigal, I. S., Gibbs, J. B., D'Alonzo, J. S. & Scolnick, E. M. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 83, 4725–4729 (1986).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  57. McCormick, F. Cell 56, 5–8 (1989).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  58. Gibbs, J. B., Schaber, M. D., Schofield, T. L., Scolnick, E. M. & Sigal, I. S. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 86, 6630–6634 (1989).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  59. Gibbs, J. B. & Marshall, M. S. Microbiol. Rev. 53, 171–185 (1989).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  60. Hall, A. Cell 61, 921–923 (1990).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  61. Srivastava, S. K., Di Donato, A. & Lacal, J. C. Molec. cell. Biol. 9, 1779–1783 (1989).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  62. Zhang, K., Noda, M., Vass, W. C., Papageorge, A. G. & Lowy, D. R. Science 249, 162–165 (1990).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  63. Schejter, E. D. & Shilo, B. Z. EMBO J. 4, 407–412 (1985).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  64. Lowe, D. G., Ricketts, M., Levinson, A. D. & Goeddel, D. V. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 85, 1015–1019 (1988).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  65. Zengel, J. M., Archer, R. H. & Lindahl, L. Nucleic Acid Res. 12, 2181–2192 (1984).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  66. Buttarelli, F. R., Calogero, R. A., Tiboni, O., Gualerzi, C. O. & Pon, C. L. Molec. gen. Genet 217, 97–104 (1989).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  67. Meng, B. Y., Shinozaki, K. & Sugiura, M. Molec. gen. Genet. 216, 25–30 (1989).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  68. March, P. E. & Inouye, M. J. biol. Chem. 260, 7206–7213 (1985).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  69. Laursen, R. A., L'ltalien, J. J., Nagarkatti, S. & Miller, D. L. J. biol. Chem. 256, 8102–8109 (1981).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  70. Bachleitner, M., Ludwig, W., Stetter, K. O. & Schleifer, K. H. FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 57, 115–120 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  71. Kushiro, A., Shimizu, M. & Tomita, K.-I. Eur. J. Biochem. 170, 93–98 (1987).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  72. Ohama, T., Yamao, F., Muto, A. & Osawa, S. J. Bact 169, 4770–4777 (1987).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  73. Montandon, P.-E. & Stutz, E. Nucleic Acids Res. 11, 5877–5892 (1983).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  74. Nagata, S., Tsunetsugu-Yokota, Y., Naito, A. & Kaziro, Y. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 80, 6192–6196 (1983).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  75. Lechner, K. & Böck, A. Molec. gen. Genet. 208, 523–528 (1987).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  76. Brands, J. H. G. M., Maassen, J. A., Van Hemert, F. J., Amons, R. & Möller, W. Eur. J. Biochem. 155, 167–171 (1986).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  77. Schirmaier, F. & Philippsen, P. EMBO J. 3, 3311–3315 (1984).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  78. Pokalsky, A. R. et al. Nucleic Acids Res. 17, 4661–4673 (1989).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  79. Hoshino, S.-I. et al. EMBO J. 8, 3807–3814 (1989).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  80. Kikuchi, Y., Shimatake, H. & Kikuchi, A. EMBO J. 7, 1175–1182 (1988).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  81. Kohno, K. et al. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 83, 4978–4982 (1986).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  82. Toda, K. et al. J. biol. Chem. 264, 15489–15493 (1989).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  83. Sacerdot, C., Dessen, P., Hershey, J. W. B., Plumbridge, J. A. & Grunberg-Manago, M. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 81, 7787–7791 (1984).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  84. Friedrich, K., Brombach, M. & Pon, C. L. Molec. gen. Genet. 214, 595–600 (1988).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  85. Trach, K. & Hoch, J. A. J. Bact. 171, 1362–1371 (1989).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  86. McGrath, J. P., Capon, D. J., Goeddel, D. V. & Levinson, A. D. Nature 310, 644–649 (1984).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  87. Capon, D. J., Chen, E. Y., Levinson, A. D., Seeburg, P. H. & Goeddel, D. V. Nature 302, 33–37 (1983).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  88. Taparowsky, E., Shimizu, K., Goldfarb, M. & Wigler, M. Cell 34, 581–586 (1983).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  89. Powers, S. et al. Cell 36, 607–612 (1984).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  90. Lowe, D. G. et al. Cell 48, 137–146 (1987).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  91. Reymond, C. D., Gomer, R. H., Mehdy, M. C. & Firtel, R. A. Cell 39, 141–148 (1984).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  92. Mozer, B., Marlor, R., Parkhurst, S. & Corces, V. Molec. cell. Biol. 5, 885–889 (1985).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  93. Bishop, J. G. III, & Corces, V. G. Genes Dev. 2, 567–577 (1988).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  94. Neumann-Silberberg, F. S., Schejter, E., Hoffmann, F. M. & Shilo, B.-Z. Cell 37, (1984).

  95. Fukui, Y. & Kaziro, Y. EMBO J. 4, 687–692 (1985).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  96. Pizon, V., Chardin, P., Lerosey, I., Olofsson, B. & Tavitian, A. Oncogene 3, 201–204 (1988).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  97. Polakis, P. G. et al. J. biol. Chem. 264, 16383–16389 (1989).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  98. Yeramian, P., Chardin, P., Madaule, P. & Tavitian, A. Nucleic Acids Res. 15, 1869 (1987).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  99. Chardin, P., Madaule, P. & Tavitian, A. Nucleic Acids Res. 16, 2717 (1988).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  100. Madaule, P., Axel, R. & Myers, A. M. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 84, 779–783 (1987).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  101. Didsbury, J., Weber, R. F., Bokoch, G. M., Evans, T. & Snyderman, R. J. biol. Chem. 264, 16378–16382 (1989).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  102. Johnson, D. I. & Pringle, J. R. J. Cell Biol. (in the press).

  103. Matsui, M., Sasamoto, S., Kunieda, T., Nomura, N. & Ishizaki, R. Gene 76, 313–319 (1989).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  104. Miyake, S. & Yamamoto, M. EMBO J. (in the press).

  105. Zahraoui, A., Touchot, N., Chardin, P. & Tavitian, A. J. biol. Chem. 264, 12394–12401 (1989).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  106. Gallwitz, D., Donath, C. & Sander, C. Nature 306, 704–707 (1983).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  107. Saxe, S. A. & Kimmel, A. R. Devl Genet. 9, 259–265 (1988).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  108. Salminen, A. & Novick, P. J. Cell 49, 527–538 (1987).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  109. Bucci, C. et al. Nucleic Acids Res. 16, 9979–9993 (1988).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  110. Bobak, D. A. et al. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 86, 6101–6105 (1989).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  111. Sewell, J. L. & Kahn, R. A. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 85, 4620–4624 (1988).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  112. Botstein, D. et al. Cold Spring Harbor Symp. quant Biol. 53, 629–636 (1988).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  113. Nakano, A. & Muramatsu, M. J. Cell Biol. 109, 2677–2691 (1989).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  114. Robishaw, J. D., Russell, D. W., Harris, B. A., Smigel, M. D. & Gilman, A. G. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 83, 1251–1255 (1986).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  115. Jones, D. T. & Reed, R. R. J. biol. Chem. 262, 14241–14249 (1987).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  116. Medynski, D. C. et al. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 82, 4311–4315 (1985).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  117. Fong, H. K. W., Yoshimoto, K. K., Eversole-Cire, P. & Simon, M. I. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 85, 3066–3070 (1988).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  118. Matsuoka, M., Itoh, H., Kozasa, T. & Kaziro, Y. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 85, 5384–5388 (1988).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  119. Nakafuku, M., Itoh, H., Nakamura, S. & Kaziro, Y. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 84, 2140–2144 (1987).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  120. Dietzel, C. & Kurjan, J. Cell 50, 1001–1010 (1987).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  121. Nakafuku, M. et al. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 65, 1374–1378 (1988).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  122. Pupillo, M., Kumagai, A., Pitt, G. S., Firtel, R. A. & Devreotes, P. N. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 86, 4892–4896 (1989).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  123. Bernstein, H. D. et al. Nature 340, 482–486 (1989).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  124. Römisch, K. et al. Nature 340, 478–482 (1989).

    Article  ADS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  125. Hann, B. C., Poritz, M. A. & Walter, P. J. Cell Biol. 109, 3223–3230 (1989).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  126. Byström, A. S., Hjalmarsson, K. J., Wikström, P. M. & Björk, G. R. EMBO J. 2, 899–905 (1983).

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  127. Gill, D. R., Hatfull, G. F. & Salmond, G. P. C. Molec. gen. Genet. 205, 134–145 (1986).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  128. Lauffer, L. et al. Nature 318, 334–338 (1985).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  129. Broek, D. et al. Cell 48, 789–799 (1987).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  130. Camonis, J. H. et al. EMBO J. 5, 375–380 (1986).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  131. Créchet, J.-B. et al. Science 248, 866–868 (1990).

    Article  ADS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  132. Sullivan, K. A. et al. Nature 330, 758–760 (1987).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  133. Kurjan, J. in G Proteins (eds Iyengar, I. & Birnbaumer, L.) 571–599 (Academic, New York, 1990).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  134. Hamm, H. E. et al. Science 241, 832–835 (1988).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  135. Hamm, H. E., Deretic, D., Hofmann, K. P., Schleicher, A. & Kohl, B. J. biol. Chem. 262, 10831–10838 (1987).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  136. Deretic, D. & Hamm, H. E. J. biol. Chem. 262, 10839–10847 (1987).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  137. Wistow, G. J., Katial, A., Craft, C. & Shinohara, T. FEBS Lett. 196, 23–28 (1986).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  138. West, R. E., Moss, J., Vaughan, M., Liu, T. & Liu, T. Y. J. biol. Chem. 260, 14428–14430 (1985).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  139. Arai, K. I., Kawakita, M., Nakamura, S., Ishikawa, I. & Kaziro, Y. J. Biochem. 76, 523–534 (1974).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  140. Camonis, J. H. & Jacquet, M. Molec. cell. Biol. 8, 2980–2983 (1988).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  141. Sigal, I. S. et al. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 83, 952–956 (1986).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  142. Adari, H., Lowy, D. R., Willumsen, B. M., Der, C. J. & McCormick, F. Science 240, 518–521 (1988).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  143. Willumsen, B. M. et al. Molec. cell. Biol. 6, 2646–2654 (1986).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  144. Vogel, U. S. et al. Nature 335, 90–93 (1988).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  145. Cales, C., Hancock, J. F., Marshall, C. J. & Hall, A. Nature 332, 548–551 (1988).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  146. Yamasaki, K. et al. Biochem. biophys. Res. Commun. 162, 1054–1062 (1989).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  147. Frech, M. et al. Science 249, 169–171 (1990).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  148. Rey, I. et al. Molec. cell. Biol. 9, 3904–3910 (1989).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  149. Schaber, M. D. et al. Proteins 6, 306–315 (1989).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  150. Garrett, M. D., Self, A. J., van Oers, C. & Hall, A. J. biol. Chem. 264, 10–13 (1989).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Pharmacology and Medicine and the Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, California, 94143-0450, USA

    Henry R. Bourne

  2. formerly at the University of California and the CETUS Corporation and is now at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02142, USA

    David A. Sanders

  3. Department of Molecular Biology, CETUS Corporation, Emeryville, California, 94608, USA

    Frank McCormick

Authors
  1. Henry R. Bourne
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. David A. Sanders
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Frank McCormick
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Bourne, H., Sanders, D. & McCormick, F. The GTPase superfamily: conserved structure and molecular mechanism. Nature 349, 117–127 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1038/349117a0

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/349117a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing