Biological function of nuclear receptor tyrosine kinase action

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Updated: May 10, 2026

Assessment of Resistance to Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors by an Interrogation of Signal Transduction Pathways by Antibody Arrays
07:42

Assessment of Resistance to Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors by an Interrogation of Signal Transduction Pathways by Antibody Arrays

Published on: September 19, 2018

Sungmin Song1, Kenneth M Rosen, Gabriel Corfas

  • 1FM Kirby Neurobiology Center, Children's Hospital Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.

Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology
|July 3, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) were thought to signal only at the cell membrane. New findings reveal some RTKs can enter the nucleus, directly impacting cell function and gene expression.

Area of Science:

  • Cellular Biology
  • Molecular Signaling
  • Cancer Research

Background:

  • Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) traditionally function at the cell membrane.
  • Ligand binding activates intracellular tyrosine kinase activity, initiating downstream signaling cascades.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the novel nuclear functions of RTKs.
  • To re-evaluate the established mechanisms of RTK action and their biological significance.

Main Methods:

  • Review of recent scientific literature on RTK signaling.
  • Analysis of studies investigating RTK nuclear translocation.

Main Results:

  • Evidence suggests RTKs can translocate to the nucleus.
  • Both proteolytically released intracellular domains and holoproteins have been observed in the nucleus.
  • Nuclear RTKs directly influence gene expression and cellular functions.

Conclusions:

  • RTKs possess a previously unrecognized nuclear signaling capacity.
  • This discovery necessitates a re-evaluation of RTK biological roles and signaling paradigms.

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