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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