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Published on: September 28, 2018
The role of tyrosine phosphorylation in modulating death receptor signaling
Pelin Dilsiz1, Fatma Zehra Hapil2
1Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science and Letters, Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul 34469, Turkiye; Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technologies (SABITA), Istanbul Medipol University, Istanbul 34810, Türkiye.
Abstract:
Death receptors (DRs) are a subset of the tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) superfamily with a protein interaction motif called the death domain. DRs, particularly TNFR1, FAS and TRAIL-Rs, mediate critical cellular outcomes, including apoptosis, necroptosis, inflammation, survival, and proliferation. Phosphorylation is a rapid, reversible post-translational modification, and therefore might alter the downstream fate decisions in signal transduction pathways. Like most cytokines, death ligands activate a wide range of tyrosine kinases. However, our understanding of whether these tyrosine kinases phosphorylate DRs and modulate downstream signaling is limited. Depending on the cell type, several different tyrosine kinases, including Src family members, JAKs and EGFR have been demonstrated to be activated upon death ligand exposure. All three of these kinase families have the potential to phosphorylate DRs, as reviewed here, and these phosphorylation events create a bias towards proinflammatory and proliferative pathways over cell death. Since these kinases are frequently hyperactivated in cancer, this bias may sustain tumor cell survival and resistance to death receptor-targeted therapies, marking the responsible kinases and their opposing phosphatases as candidate therapeutic targets.
Insights
Tyrosine kinases phosphorylate death receptors (DRs), promoting inflammation and proliferation over cell death. This impacts cancer survival and therapy resistance, identifying kinases and phosphatases as potential therapeutic targets.
Area of Science:
- Cellular Biology
- Molecular Biology
- Cancer Biology
Background:
- Death receptors (DRs) are key regulators of cellular outcomes like apoptosis and inflammation.
- Tyrosine kinases are activated by death ligands, but their role in DR signaling is unclear.
- Phosphorylation is a crucial post-translational modification influencing signal transduction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of tyrosine kinases in phosphorylating death receptors.
- To understand how this phosphorylation affects downstream signaling pathways.
- To explore the implications for cancer survival and targeted therapies.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on death receptor signaling and tyrosine kinase activation.
- Analysis of studies demonstrating tyrosine kinase activation (Src, JAKs, EGFR) upon death ligand exposure.
- Examination of the functional consequences of DR phosphorylation.
Main Results:
- Tyrosine kinases (Src, JAKs, EGFR) can phosphorylate death receptors.
- DR phosphorylation promotes pro-inflammatory and proliferative pathways, inhibiting cell death.
- These kinases are often hyperactivated in cancer, contributing to tumor survival.
Conclusions:
- Tyrosine kinase-mediated DR phosphorylation supports cancer cell survival and therapy resistance.
- Targeting these kinases and their opposing phosphatases presents a potential therapeutic strategy.
- Further research is needed to elucidate the precise mechanisms and therapeutic applications.
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