BRAF gene: From human cancers to developmental syndromes

Muhammad Ramzan Manwar Hussain; Mukhtiar Baig; Hussein Sheik Ali Mohamoud; Zaheer Ulhaq; Daniel C Hoessli; Ghaidaa Siraj Khogeer; Ranem Radwan Al-Sayed; Jumana Yousuf Al-Aama

doi:10.1016/j.sjbs.2014.10.002

BRAF gene: From human cancers to developmental syndromes

Saudi J Biol Sci. 2015 Jul;22(4):359-73. doi: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2014.10.002. Epub 2014 Oct 23.

Authors

Muhammad Ramzan Manwar Hussain¹, Mukhtiar Baig², Hussein Sheik Ali Mohamoud³, Zaheer Ulhaq⁴, Daniel C Hoessli⁴, Ghaidaa Siraj Khogeer⁵, Ranem Radwan Al-Sayed⁵, Jumana Yousuf Al-Aama⁶

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Genetic Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia ; CAS-Institute of microbiology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
² Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Rabigh Branch, Saudi Arabia.
³ Human Genetics Research Centre, Division of Biomedical Sciences (BMS), St. George's University of London (SGUL), London, UK.
⁴ Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi 75270, Pakistan.
⁵ Department of Biology, Genomics and Biotechnology Section, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
⁶ Faculty of Genetic Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

The BRAF gene encodes for a serine/threonine protein kinase that participates in the MAPK/ERK signalling pathway and plays a vital role in cancers and developmental syndromes (RASopathies). The current review discusses the clinical significance of the BRAF gene and other members of RAS/RAF cascade in human cancers and RAS/MAPK syndromes, and focuses the molecular basis and clinical genetics of BRAF to better understand its parallel involvement in both tumourigenesis and RAS/MAPK syndromes-Noonan syndrome, cardio-facio-cutaneous syndrome and LEOPARD syndrome.

Keywords: BRAF gene; Cancers; Developmental syndromes; RAS–RAF overactivation.

Publication types

Review