Tyrosine Kinase/Adaptors

Protein-tyrosine kinases (PTKs) catalyze the transfer of the γ-phosphate of ATP to tyrosine residues of protein substrates, which play a key role as mediators in the signal transduction cascade for regulating cell division and cell death pathways. The PTKs can be subdivided into two groups, receptor protein tyrosine kinase (RTK) and non-receptor protein tyrosine kinase (NRTK). Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) are the high-affinity cell surface receptors for many polypeptide growth factors, cytokines, and hormones. Of the 90 unique tyrosine kinase genes identified in the human genome, 58 encode receptor tyrosine kinase proteins. Receptor tyrosine kinases have been shown not only to be key regulators of normal cellular processes but also to have a critical role in the development and progression of many types of cancer. There are four main mechanisms of RTK dysregulation in human cancers: genomic rearrangements, autocrine activation, overexpression and gain- or loss-of-function mutations. Currently, there are several clinically available small molecule inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies against specific RTKs.