Growth arrest-specific protein 1 (GAS1) is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored protein involved in growth suppression [, , ]. It inhibits cell proliferation when overexpressed in normal and transformed cell lines, and reduces tumour cell growth []. It also promotes apoptosis [], plays a role in mouse embryonic development [], and suppresses melanoma metastases [].
This cysteine rich domain is found in multiple copies in GNDF and GAS1 proteins. GDNF and neurturin (NTN) receptors are potent survival factors for sympathetic, sensory and central nervous system neurons [, ]. GDNF and neurturin promote neuronal survival by signalling through similar multicomponent receptors that consist of a common receptor tyrosine kinase and a member of a GPI-linked family of receptors that determines ligand specificity [].
