Premium
The HGF receptor family: unconventional signal transducers for invasive cell growth
Author(s) -
Comoglio Paolo M.,
Boccaccio Carla
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
genes to cells
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.912
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1365-2443
pISSN - 1356-9597
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2443.1996.37037.x
Subject(s) - biology , signal (programming language) , microbiology and biotechnology , receptor , transducer , cancer research , genetics , acoustics , computer science , physics , programming language
The HGF receptor family includes tyrosine kinases encoded by three oncogenes: MET SEA and RON . The members of this gene family share a unique functional feature: they mediate cell dissociation and motility (‘scattering‘) in physiological conditions, and invasiveness in their activated versions. The Met Ron and Sea receptors display a distinctive signal transduction behaviour. Unlike conventional growth factor receptors, their cytoplasmic tails contain a multifunctional docking site. Upon autophosphorylation, this sequence simultaneously binds and activates multiple SH2‐containing transducers, including Ras and PI 3‐kinase. A deregulated activation of this ‘supersite’ triggers a dramatic pleiotropic signal which is responsible for invasive cell growth.