title: Focal adhesion kinase: in command and control of cell motility.
abstract: A central question in cell biology is how membrane-spanning receptors transmit extracellular signals inside cells to modulate cell adhesion and motility. Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a crucial signalling component that is activated by numerous stimuli and functions as a biosensor or integrator to control cell motility. Through multifaceted and diverse molecular connections, FAK can influence the cytoskeleton, structures of cell adhesion sites and membrane protrusions to regulate cell movement.
authors.affiliation: The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Immunology, IMM21 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, USA.
authors.forename: Satyajit K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Mitra
authors.forename: Daniel A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Hanson
authors.forename: David D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Schlaepfer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000502:physiology; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000502:physiology; D051417:Focal Adhesion Kinase 1; D051416:Focal Adhesion Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D006801:Humans; D007365:Intercellular Junctions / Q000502:physiology; D051419:Paxillin; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000502:physiology; D010766:Phosphorylation; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000502:physiology*; D011506:Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D050717:Retinoblastoma-Like Protein p130
chemical_list: D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; C496061:PXN protein, human; D051419:Paxillin; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D011506:Proteins; D050717:Retinoblastoma-Like Protein p130; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D051417:Focal Adhesion Kinase 1; D051416:Focal Adhesion Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; C496050:PTK2 protein, human