CELL SIGNALING: PHOSPHORYLATION, KINASES, AND KINASE INHIBITORS

摘要

Cell signaling is a broad and frequently confusing field. This overview describes some of the exciting new technologies that promise to drive research via more specific, user-friendly assays, reagents, and services, and the development of new inhibitors. Understanding the signaling pathways, networks, and interactions that cells require to function is a major scientific challenge. Kinases are involved in the many signaling pathways cells use for growth proliferation, differentiation, and death. Assays to elucidate kinase-related components of signaling pathways may rely on "classic" methods using radioactive phosphates to detect kinase activity (phosphorylation), inhibition, or dephosphorylation, or they may rely on more recently developed fluorescent or colorimetric technologies. Antibodies specific to phosphotyrosine, phosphoserine, and phosphothreonine and to specific target sequences are also useful for assay development. Companies with an interest in cell signaling provide a variety of products that are driving basic research, including enzymes, substrates, inhibitors, antibodies, and off-the-shelf or custom assay kits.