RAB37, Member RAS Oncogene Family (RAB37)

Using yeast 2-hybrid analysis with mouse Rab5 as bait, Masuda et al. (2000) identified Rab37 from a mouse mast cell line. The deduced Rab37 protein contains sequence motifs conserved in other low molecular mass GTPases.

It shares 74% and 47% amino acid sequence identity with rat RAB26 and mouse Rab8 (RAB8A). Northern blot analysis showed expression of 2.3- and 1.2-kb Rab37 transcripts exclusively in the MC9 mast cell line. Immunoprecipitation followed by Western blot analysis of a panel of mouse tissues showed that a 34-kD band corresponding to the Rab37 protein is expressed exclusively in bone marrow mast cells. Expression of GFP-tagged Rab37 in bone marrow mast cells showed that Rab37 localizes to secretory granules.