title: Understanding the cellular roles of Fyn-related kinase (FRK): implications in cancer biology.
abstract: The non-receptor tyrosine kinase Fyn-related kinase (FRK) is a member of the BRK family kinases (BFKs) and is distantly related to the Src family kinases (SFKs). FRK was first discovered in 1993, and studies pursued thereafter attributed a potential tumour-suppressive function to the enzyme. In recent years, however, further functional characterization of the tyrosine kinase in diverse cancer types suggests that FRK may potentially play an oncogenic role as well. Specifically, while ectopic expression of FRK suppresses cell proliferation and migration in breast and brain cancers, knockdown or catalytic inhibition of FRK suppresses these cellular processes in pancreatic and liver cancer. Such functional paradox is therefore evidently exhibited in a tissue-specific context. This review sheds light on the recent developments emerged from investigations on FRK which include: (a) a review of the expression pattern of the protein in mammalian cells/tissues, (b) underlying genomic perturbations and (c) a mechanistic function of the enzyme across different cellular environments. Given its functional heterogeneity observed across different cancers, we also discuss the therapeutic significance of FRK.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Saskatchewan, 107 Wiggins Road, Health Sciences Building, Saskatoon, S7N 5E5, Saskatchewan, Canada.
authors.forename: Raghuveera Kumar
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Goel
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Saskatchewan, 107 Wiggins Road, Health Sciences Building, Saskatoon, S7N 5E5, Saskatchewan, Canada. kiven.lukong@usask.ca.
authors.forename: Kiven Erique
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Lukong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D009154:Mutation; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011485:Protein Binding; D011487:Protein Conformation; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D021381:Protein Transport; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019061:src-Family Kinases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; C092830:FRK protein, human; D019061:src-Family Kinases
keywords: BFKs; BRK; Breast cancer; FRK; Fyn; Oncogene; PTEN; PTK5; Rak; SRMS; Src; Tumour suppressor; Tyrosine kinase