title: Signaling through focal adhesion kinase.
abstract: Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a nonreceptor protein-tyrosine kinase implicated in controlling cellular responses to the engagement of cell-surface integrins, including cell spreading and migration, survival and proliferation. Aberrant FAK signaling may contribute to the process of cell transformation by certain oncoproteins, including v-Src. Progress toward elucidating the events leading to FAK activation following integrin-mediated cell adhesion, as well as events downstream of FAK, has come through the identification of FAK phosphorylation sites and interacting proteins. A signaling partnership is formed between FAK and Src-family kinases, leading to tyrosine phosphorylation of FAK and associated 'docking' proteins Cas and paxillin. Subsequent recruitment of proteins containing Src homology 2 domains, including Grb2 and c-Crk, to the complex is likely to trigger adhesion-induced cellular responses, including changes to the actin cytoskeleton and activation of the Ras-MAP kinase pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, USA.
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Hanks
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Polte
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000502:physiology*; D051417:Focal Adhesion Kinase 1; D051416:Focal Adhesion Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D006801:Humans; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D051417:Focal Adhesion Kinase 1; D051416:Focal Adhesion Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; C496050:PTK2 protein, human