The RIT1 gene provides instructions for making a protein that helps cells survive during periods of cellular stress, such as unusually high energy demands. As part of a signaling pathway known as the RAS/MAPK pathway, the RIT1 protein relays signals from outside the cell to the cell's nucleus. These signals instruct the cell to grow and divide (proliferate) or to mature and take on specialized functions (differentiate). The RIT1 protein is a GTPase, which means it converts a molecule called GTP into another molecule called GDP. To transmit signals during periods of cellular stress, the RIT1 protein is turned on by attaching (binding) to a molecule of GTP. The RIT1 protein is turned off (inactivated) when it converts the GTP to GDP. When the protein is bound to GDP, it does not relay signals to the cell's nucleus.~The RIT1 gene belongs to a class of genes known as oncogenes. When mutated, oncogenes have the potential to cause normal cells to become cancerous. The RIT1 gene is in the Ras family of oncogenes, which also includes three other genes: KRAS, HRAS, and NRAS. These proteins play important roles in cell division, cell differentiation, and the self-destruction of cells (apoptosis).