RAB4B, Member RAS Oncogene Family (RAB4B)

RAB proteins, such as RAB4B, are members of the RAS superfamily of small GTPases that are involved in vesicular trafficking.By searching databases for RAS family members, followed by PCR, He et al. (2002) cloned RAB4B. The deduced 212-amino acid RAB4B protein contains 4 highly conserved GTPase motifs and a C-terminal geranylgeranylation motif. Northern blot analysis detected a major transcript of about 1.2 kb that showed highest expressed in ovary, followed by thymus and prostate. Lower expression was detected in spleen, testis, small intestine, colon, peripheral blood, lung, pancreas, heart, and kidney. Little to no expression was detected in brain, placenta, liver, and skeletal muscle.RAB4B gene contains 8 exons and spans over 20 kb.