Tyrosine-specific kinase receptors

There are five known classes of enzyme-linked receptors (1) receptor tyrosine kinases, which phosphorylate specific tyrosine residues on intracellular signaling proteins (2) tyrosine kinase-associated receptors, such as the prolactin and growth hormone receptors we have already discussed, which... 

Marshall CJ (1995) Specificity of receptor tyrosine kinase signaling transient versus sustained extracellular signal-regulated kinase activation. Cell 80 179-185... 

The insulin receptor is a transmembrane receptor tyrosine kinase located in the plasma membrane of insulin-sensitive cells (e.g., adipocytes, myocytes, hepatocytes). It mediates the effect of insulin on specific cellular responses (e.g., glucose transport, glycogen synthesis, lipid synthesis, protein synthesis). 

Insulin Receptor. Figure 1 Structure and function of the insulin receptor. Binding of insulin to the a-subunits (yellow) leads to activation of the intracellular tyrosine kinase ((3-subunit) by autophosphorylation. The insulin receptor substrates (IRS) bind via a phospho-tyrosine binding domain to phosphorylated tyrosine residues in the juxtamembrane domain of the (3-subunit. The receptor tyrosine kinase then phosphorylates specific tyrosine motifs (YMxM) within the IRS. These tyrosine phosphorylated motifs serve as docking sites for some adaptor proteins with SRC homology 2 (SH2) domains like the regulatory subunit of PI 3-kinase. 

Besides cytoplasmic protein kinases, membrane receptors can exert protein kinase activity. These so-called receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK) contain a ligandbinding extracellular domain, a transmembrane motif, and an intracellular catalytic domain with specificity for tyrosine residues. Upon ligand binding and subsequent receptor oligomerization, the tyrosine residues of the intracellular domain become phosphory-lated by the intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity of the receptor [3, 4]. The phosphotyrosine residues ftmction as docking sites for other proteins that will transmit the signal received by the RTK. 

The Src-homology 2 (SH2) domain is a protein domain of roughly 100 amino acids found in many signaling molecules. It binds to phosphorylated tyrosines, in particular peptide sequences on activated receptor tyrosine kinases or docking proteins. By recognizing specific phosphorylated tyrosines, these small domains serve as modules that enable the proteins that contain them to bind to activated receptor tyrosine kinases or other intracellular signaling proteins that have been transiently phosphorylated on tyrosines. 

The growth requirement for EGF is a good example in this regard. EGF stimulates the growth of many different types of animal cells in culture. In order to initiate the growth response, EGF interacts with specific EGF receptors localized in the plasma membrane, activating a tyrosine-specific protein kinase, which is an intrinsic part of the receptor (Figure 12). As a consequence, specific proteins are phosphorylated at tyrosine residues, and some of these proteins (which are also... 

There are basically two different enzyme activities that can be stimulated in enzyme-linked receptors. A receptor tyrosine kinase recognizes one or more specific tyrosines in the target and uses ATP to phosphorylate it. Often part of the activation involves the receptor phosphoryla-... 

Store it while it s here. Insulin binds to a specific receptor on the cell surface and exerts its metabolic effect by a signaling pathway that involves a receptor tyrosine kinase phosphorylation cascade. Note that insulin stimulates storage processes and at the same time inhibits degradative pathways. 

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