Studying RAS Interactions in Live Cells with BRET

Bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) is a valuable technique for studying protein-protein interactions (PPIs) within live cells (Pfleger and Eidne, Nat Methods 3:165–174, 2006). Among the various BRET methodologies, a recent addition called NanoBRET has emerged, leveraging advancements in donor and acceptor technologies (Machleidt and Woodroofe, ACS Chem Biol 10:1797–1804, 2015). In this study, we present a developed methodology designed to measure PPIs involving the RAS protein family and their effectors and interactors at the plasma membrane. By utilizing the NanoLuc and HaloTag BRET pair, we provide evidence of a saturable interaction between KRAS4b-G12D and full-length RAF1. Conversely, the RAF1 R89L mutant, known to impede RAF1 binding to active RAS, exhibits nonspecific interactions. The assay exhibits remarkable signal-to-background ratios and is highly suitable for investigating the interactions of RAS with effectors, as well as for high-throughput screening assays.