RERG is a novel ras-related, estrogen-regulated and growth-inhibitory gene in breast cancer

Using microarray analysis, we identified a unique ras superfamily gene, termed RERG (ras-related and estrogen-regulated growth inhibitor), whose expression was decreased or lost in a significant percentage of primary human breast tumors that show a poor clinical prognosis. Importantly, high RERG expression correlated with expression of a set of genes that define a breast tumor subtype that is estrogen receptor-positive and associated with a slow rate of tumor cell proliferation and a favorable prognosis for these cancer patients. RERG mRNA expression was induced rapidly in MCF-7 cells stimulated by beta -estradiol and repressed by tamoxifen treatment. Like Ras, RERG protein exhibited intrinsic GDP/GTP binding and GTP hydrolysis activity. Unlike Ras proteins, RERG lacks a known recognition signal for COOH-terminal prenylation and was localized primarily in the cytoplasm. Expression of RERG protein in MCF-7 breast carcinoma cells resulted in a significant inhibition of both anchorage-dependent and anchorage-independent growth in vitro and inhibited tumor formation in nude mice. These features of RERG are strikingly different from most Ras superfamily GTP-binding proteins and suggest that the loss of RERG expression may contribute to breast tumorigenesis.