Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Interactions Between Signaling Pathways

Interactions Between Signaling Pathways

Signaling cascades usually lack linearity. Multiple pathways interact and regulate one another, allowing cells to integrate and respond to diverse environmental stimuli.
Convergence and divergence, and cross-talk between signaling pathways
Two distinct signaling pathways can converge on a single functional unit, which may either be a single protein or a complex of proteins. The response is either functionally distinct or synergistic between the two pathways but different from the response...

Amplifying Signals via Enzymatic Cascade

Amplifying Signals via Enzymatic Cascade

When a ligand binds to a cell-surface receptor, the receptor's intracellular domain changes shape, which may either activate its enzyme function or allow its binding to other molecules. The initial signal is amplified by most signal transduction pathways. This means that a single ligand molecule can activate multiple molecules of a downstream target. Proteins that relay a signal are most commonly phosphorylated at one or more sites, activating or inactivating the protein. Kinases catalyze the...

The JAK-STAT Signaling Pathway

The JAK-STAT Signaling Pathway

Several cytokine receptors have tightly bound Janus kinase or JAK proteins attached at their cytosolic tail. Small signaling molecules such as cytokines, growth hormones, or prolactins bind to the cytokine receptors and initiate their dimerization. The dimerization brings the cytosolic JAKs together that trans-phosphorylate and activates each other. The activated JAKs now phosphorylate cytosolic tails of the cytokine receptors, which serve as binding sites for adaptor proteins such as SH2...

PI3K/mTOR/AKT Signaling Pathway

PI3K/mTOR/AKT Signaling Pathway

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a serine/threonine kinase that regulates growth, proliferation, and cell survival in response to hormones, growth factors, or nutrient availability. This kinase exists in two structurally and functionally distinct forms: mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) and mTOR complex 2 (mTORC2). The first form (mTORC1) is composed of a rapamycin-sensitive Raptor and proline-rich Akt substrate, PRAS40. In contrast, mTORC2 consists of a rapamycin-insensitive companion...

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or the...

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or the...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

[Stapled closure of the internal fistula orifice in anal fistula for high complex anal fistula].

Zhonghua wei chang wai ke za zhi = Chinese journal of gastrointestinal surgery·2025

Same author

[Clinical study of percutaneous vertebroplasty combined with (125)I seeds implantation in the treatment of patients with thoracic metastatic tumor complicated with posterior vertebral defect].

Zhonghua zhong liu za zhi [Chinese journal of oncology]·2020

Same author

[Effect and mechanism of low-dose chidamide on the treatment of primary immune thrombocytopenia].

Zhonghua xue ye xue za zhi = Zhonghua xueyexue zazhi·2020

Same author

[Application of robot-assisted surgery in the surgical treatment of head and neck cancer].

Zhonghua kou qiang yi xue za zhi = Zhonghua kouqiang yixue zazhi = Chinese journal of stomatology·2019

Same author

[Clinical significance of syndecan-1 and syndecan-2 expression in gallbladder squamous cell/adenosquamous carcinoma and adenocarcinoma].

Zhonghua zhong liu za zhi [Chinese journal of oncology]·2018

Same author

Effects of human parathyroid hormone on bone morphogenetic protein signal pathway following spinal fusion in diabetic rats.

Journal of biological regulators and homeostatic agents·2017

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Intracellular Phosphoflow Cytometry of Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patient-Derived Xenotransplants

Intracellular Phosphoflow Cytometry of Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patient-Derived Xenotransplants

Published on: June 6, 2025

PAK signaling in oncogenesis.

P R Molli¹, D Q Li, B W Murray

¹Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20037, USA.

|May 26, 2009

Summary

The p21-activated kinase (PAK) family regulates key cell functions and is implicated in cancer. This review details PAK regulation and its downstream effectors in cancer cells.

Area of Science:

Cell Biology
Molecular Biology
Oncology

Background:

The p21-activated kinase (PAK) family are serine/threonine kinases crucial for cellular processes like motility, survival, and mitosis.
PAKs are conserved across species, widely expressed, and frequently overexpressed in various cancers.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the complex regulation of the PAK family of kinases.
To summarize the diverse downstream effectors of PAKs.
To elucidate the role of PAKs in cancer cell biology.

Main Methods:

Literature review of existing studies on PAK family biology.
Analysis of data from tissue culture models and human tumors.
Synthesis of information on PAK regulation and effector pathways.

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Intracellular Phosphoflow Cytometry of Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patient-Derived Xenotransplants

Intracellular Phosphoflow Cytometry of Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patient-Derived Xenotransplants

Published on: June 6, 2025

Main Results:

PAKs are divided into Group I (extracellular signal-activated) and Group II (constitutively active) based on structural and functional similarities.
Accumulating data reveals intricate regulatory mechanisms governing PAK activity.
PAKs orchestrate diverse cellular functions through numerous downstream effectors.

Conclusions:

Understanding PAK regulation and its effectors is vital for comprehending their role in cancer.
PAKs represent a significant target for cancer therapy due to their involvement in critical cancer cell processes.