Synonyms
Definition
RTKs are high-affinity cell-surface receptors for specific polypeptide ligands, which have an intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity: they can transfer a phosphate group from ATP to a tyrosine residue. In the human genome, 58 RTK genes have been identified. RTKs are key components of signaling pathways, which control cell proliferation, survival, differentiation, and metabolism. Deregulation of RTKs by different mechanisms may contribute to neoplastic growth or developmental abnormalities.
Characteristics
Receptor tyrosine kinases show a common architecture comprising an extracellular portion that binds polypeptide ligands, a transmembrane helix, and a cytoplasmic portion that displays catalytic activity (Fig. 1). Docking sites for protein-protein interactions with cytoplasmic signaling molecules are also present. The majority of RTKs are formed by a single polypeptide chain in a monomeric conformation in the absence of a ligand. METand its...
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See Also
(2012) Autocrine. In: Schwab M (ed) Encyclopedia of Cancer, 3rd edn. Springer Berlin Heidelberg, p 311. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-16483-5_468
(2012) Chromosomal Rearrangement. In: Schwab M (ed) Encyclopedia of Cancer, 3rd edn. Springer Berlin Heidelberg, p 842. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-16483-5_1141
(2012) Deletion. In: Schwab M (ed) Encyclopedia of Cancer, 3rd edn. Springer Berlin Heidelberg, p 1080. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-16483-5_1553
(2012) Paracrine. In: Schwab M (ed) Encyclopedia of Cancer, 3rd edn. Springer Berlin Heidelberg, p 2783. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-16483-5_4380
(2012) Point Mutation. In: Schwab M (ed) Encyclopedia of Cancer, 3rd edn. Springer Berlin Heidelberg, p 2934. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-16483-5_4653
(2012) PTB Domain. In: Schwab M (ed) Encyclopedia of Cancer, 3rd edn. Springer Berlin Heidelberg, p 3117. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-16483-5_4850
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Pierotti, M.A., Borrello, M.G. (2015). Receptor Tyrosine Kinases. In: Schwab, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Cancer. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27841-9_4982-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27841-9_4982-9
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