Evaluation of the selectivity and sensitivity of isoform-and mutation-specific RAS antibodies

AM Waters, I Ozkan-Dagliyan, AV Vaseva, N Fer… - Science …, 2017 - science.org
AM Waters, I Ozkan-Dagliyan, AV Vaseva, N Fer, LA Strathern, GA Hobbs
Science signaling, 2017science.org
There is intense interest in developing therapeutic strategies for RAS proteins, the most
frequently mutated oncoprotein family in cancer. Development of effective anti-RAS
therapies will be aided by the greater appreciation of RAS isoform–specific differences in
signaling events that support neoplastic cell growth. However, critical issues that require
resolution to facilitate the success of these efforts remain. In particular, the use of well-
validated anti-RAS antibodies is essential for accurate interpretation of experimental data …
There is intense interest in developing therapeutic strategies for RAS proteins, the most frequently mutated oncoprotein family in cancer. Development of effective anti-RAS therapies will be aided by the greater appreciation of RAS isoform–specific differences in signaling events that support neoplastic cell growth. However, critical issues that require resolution to facilitate the success of these efforts remain. In particular, the use of well-validated anti-RAS antibodies is essential for accurate interpretation of experimental data. We evaluated 22 commercially available anti-RAS antibodies with a set of distinct reagents and cell lines for their specificity and selectivity in recognizing the intended RAS isoforms and mutants. Reliability varied substantially. For example, we found that some pan- or isoform-selective anti-RAS antibodies did not adequately recognize their intended target or showed greater selectivity for another; some were valid for detecting G12D and G12V mutant RAS proteins in Western blotting, but none were valid for immunofluorescence or immunohistochemical analyses; and some antibodies recognized nonspecific bands in lysates from “Rasless” cells expressing the oncoprotein BRAFV600E. Using our validated antibodies, we identified RAS isoform–specific siRNAs and shRNAs. Our results may help to ensure the accurate interpretation of future RAS studies.
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