RAB GTPases expressed in human melanoma cells.

The expression of small GTP-binding protein genes of the ras superfamily was examined in pigmented human melanoma cells by a PCR-based strategy. Twenty six different partial cDNA sequences were isolated, including 17 members of the rab subfamily, of which 9 represented novel genes. Some rabs expressed in melanoma cells overlapped with those of platelets: this should prove relevant to the investigation of murine and human disorders characterized by the combination of pigment dilution and a platelet storage pool defect.