Regulation of components of AP-1 transcription factor by early and late Ras signals

Experiments utilising either tumour cells or over-expression of oncogenes like Ras and its potential downstream mediators have yielded a wealth of information over the last decade. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of AP-I transcription factor has been extensively analysed in response to various oncogenic signals. One basic criticism is that the continued presence of an activated component of cellular signaling renders the study of early Ras-mediated signaling impossible. Inducible systems for oncogene expression offer a valuable alternative for detailed analysis of signal transduction pathways. Here, we report the comparative analysis of components of oncogenic pathways between tumour cells and cells that carry inducible oncogenes.