Receptors with Associated Tyrosine Kinase Activity

Membrane Receptors with Associated Tyrosine Kinase Activity 

Coupling of extracellular signals to tyrosine phosphorylation in the intracellular region may occur by two mechanisms and involves two different receptor types  

Ligand binding on the extracellular side is linked to stimulation of tyrosine kinase activity in the cytoplasmic receptor domain for receptors with intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity, the receptor tyrosine kinases (see 8.1). The hgand binding site and the tyrosine kinase are part of one and the same protein. 

Cytokines are proteins that serve as signal molecules in cell-cell communication, and as such, perform a central and very diverse function in growth and differentiation of an organism. Representatives of cytokines control proliferation, differentiation and function of cells of the immune system and of cells of the blood-forming system. Furthermore, they are involved in processes of inflammation and in the neuronal, hema-poetic and embryonal development of the organism. Known cytokines include the interleukins (IL), erythropoietin, growth hormone, interferons (INF) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) (see Table 8.1). A review of cytokines and cytokine receptors is to be found in HiU and Treisman, (1995) Taniguchi et al., (1995) and Moutoussamy et al., (1998). 

The cytokines are of considerable medical importance due to their essential function in controlling the immune system, in defense reactions and for processes of inflammation. Great efforts are therefore being made to elucidate the structure and mechanism of activity of the cytokines and their corresponding receptors and to characterize the components of the signals triggered by cytokines. Many of the cytokines have the cha- 

---

Intracellular signal transduction employs central switching stations that receive, modulate and transmit signals further. The Ras proteins (also known as p2T proteins) make up a switching station of particular importance for growth and differentiation processes. The Ras proteins process signals received by receptor tyrosine kinases, by receptors with associated tyrosine kinase activity and by G-protein-coupled receptors, and transmit these into the cell interior (Fig. 9.1). 

Fig. 9.1. The Ras protein as a central switching station of signaling pathways. A main pathway for Ras activation is via receptor tyrosine kinases, which pass the signal on via adaptor proteins and guanine nucleotide exchange factors to the Ras protein. Activation ofRas protein can also be initiated via G-protein-coupled receptors and via transmembrane receptors with associated tyrosine kinase activity. The membrane association of the Ras protein (see Fig. 9.6) is not shown for clarity. In addition, not aU signahng pathways that contribute to activation of the Ras protein are shown, nor are all effector reactions. Py omplex of the heterotrimeric G proteins GAP GTPase activating protein GEF guanine nucleotide exchange factor.

Transmembrane receptors with associated tyrosine kinase activity... 

Membrane Receptors with Associated Tyrosine Kinase Activity Erythropoietin Receptor... 

---