Established and Emerging Fluorescence-Based Assays for G-Protein Function: Ras-Superfamily GTPases

Ras and Rho GTPases are signaling proteins that regulate a variety of physiological events and are intimately linked to the progression of cancer. Recently, a variety of fluorescence-based assays have been refined to monitor activation of these GTPases. This review summarizes current fluorescence-based techniques for studying Ras superfamily GTPases with an emphasis on practical examples and high-throughput applications. These techniques are not only useful for biochemical characterization of Ras superfamily members, but will also facilitate the discovery of small molecule therapeutics designed to inhibit signal transduction mediated by GTPases.