BACKGROUND: Ras is an area of intensive biochemical and genetic studies and characterizing downstream components that relay ras-induced signals is clearly important. We used a systematic approach, based on DNA microarray technology to establish a first catalog of genes whose expression is altered by ras and, as such, potentially involved in the regulation of cell growth and transformation. RESULTS: We used DNA microarrays to analyze gene expression profiles of rasV12/E1A-transformed mouse embryonic fibroblasts. Among the approximately 12,000 genes and ESTs analyzed, 815 showed altered expression in rasV12/E1A-transformed fibroblasts, compared to control fibroblasts, of which 203 corresponded to ESTs. Among known genes, 202 were up-regulated and 410 were down-regulated. About one half of genes encoding transcription factors, signaling proteins, membrane proteins, channels or apoptosis-related proteins was up-regulated whereas the other half was down-regulated. Interestingly, most of the genes encoding structural proteins, secretory proteins, receptors, extracellular matrix components, and cytosolic proteins were down-regulated whereas genes encoding DNA-associated proteins (involved in DNA replication and reparation) and cell growth-related proteins were up-regulated. These data may explain, at least in part, the behavior of transformed cells in that down-regulation of structural proteins, extracellular matrix components, secretory proteins and receptors is consistent with reversion of the phenotype of transformed cells towards a less differentiated phenotype, and up-regulation of cell growth-related proteins and DNA-associated proteins is consistent with their accelerated growth. Yet, we also found very unexpected results. For example, proteases and inhibitors of proteases as well as all 8 angiogenic factors present on the array were down-regulated in transformed fibroblasts although they are generally up-regulated in cancers. This observation suggests that, in human cancers, proteases, protease inhibitors and angiogenic factors could be regulated through a mechanism disconnected from ras activation. CONCLUSIONS: This study established a first catalog of genes whose expression is altered upon fibroblast transformation by rasV12/E1A. This catalog is representative of the genome but not exhaustive, because only one third of expressed genes was examined. In addition, contribution to ras signaling of post-transcriptional and post-translational modifications was not addressed. Yet, the information gathered should be quite useful to future investigations on the molecular mechanisms of oncogenic transformation.