Signal transduction by the hepatocyte growth factor receptor, c-met. Activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase.

Signal transduction by tyrosine kinase growth factor receptors involves the activation of multiple intracellular signaling pathways. In many cases, this occurs via direct binding of a downstream signaling protein to the phosphorylated receptor via src-homology 2 domains on the signaling protein. In this review of the hepatocyte growth factor receptor c-met, the ability of the amino acid sequence of the receptor to dictate which signaling proteins are activated is described, with particular emphasis on association with the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. Recent developments that provide new understanding of the mechanisms of downstream signal transduction by the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase are discussed, including how these might be involved in the mitogenic, motogenic, and tubulogenic effects of hepatocyte growth factor on renal epithelial cells.