Progress of Cell Adhesion Mediated Signal-Focal Adhesion Kinase

ZHA Xi-Liang
( Department of Biochemistry, Ministry of Health Key Laboratory of
Glycoconjug ate, Shanghai Medical University, Shanghai 200032, China )

Abstract　　Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is an important component in integrin me diated cell adhesion. It has tyrosine kinase activity and is capable of self-phosphorylation. New members of FAK family have been found recently with similar fu nction of FAK. FAK can suppress cell apoptosis and also is a substrate of caspa se. As a signaling molecule, FAK takes crosstalk with other signal transduction pathways within cell. It regulates various cell effect directly.
Key Words　　Cell adhesion; Focal adhesion kinase; Signal transduction; Apoptosis

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