Chapter category: Signal Transduction
Regulation of Cytoskeletal Dynamics and Cell Morphogenesis by Abl Family Kinases
Abl Family Kinases in Development
and Disease
Edited by: Anthony J. KoleskeISBN: 0-387-36640-7
» Get more information about this book at landesbioscience.com «
Chapter authors:
Abelson (Abl) family nonreceptor tyrosine kinases are essential regulators of cell morphogenesis in developing metazoan organisms. Mutant animals that lack Abl kinases exhibit defects in epithelial and neuronal morphogenesis. In cultured cells, the vertebrate Abl and Abl-related gene (Arg) proteins promote formation of actin-based protrusive structures, such as filopodia and lamellipodia. Abl family kinases act as relays that coordinate changes in cytoskeletal structure in response growth factors and adhesive adhesion receptor activation. These cytoskeletal rearrangements are achieved through the ability of these kinases to control the Rho and Rac GTPases and to stimulate assembly of protein complexes that activate nucleation of actin filaments by the Arp2/3 complex. Abl and Arg also contain extended C-termini that bind directly to F-actin and microtubules and may mediate interactions between these cytoskeletal networks in cells. Arg, for instance, can promote the cooperative assembly of an F-actin-rich scaffold in cells, which may serve as a base for the elaboration of actin-rich protrusive structures in cells.
Additional chapters from this book:
Abelson Family Protein Tyrosine Kinases and the Formation of Neuronal Connectivity
The nervous system is an organ of immense complexity. Neural function and the integration of neural input depend upon the formation of an intricate network of synaptic connections. Building this neura...
Regulation of Cytoskeletal Dynamics and Cell Morphogenesis by Abl Family Kinases
Abelson (Abl) family nonreceptor tyrosine kinases are essential regulators of cell morphogenesis in developing metazoan organisms. Mutant animals that lack Abl kinases exhibit defects in epithelial an...
Mechanisms of Activation of Abl Family Kinases
Evidence that has accumulated over the last years points to c-Abl and Arg (ABL1 and ABL2) as being particular forms of the Src family of kinases. Just as much as or even more than the Src kinases, Abl...
Abl and Cell Death
The Abl tyrosine kinase contains nuclear-import and -export signals and undergoes nucleo-cytoplasmic shuttling in proliferating cells. The nuclear Abl is activated by DNA damage or tumor necrosis fact...
Oncogenic Forms of ABL Family Kinases
Disruption of the auto-inhibitory structure of ABL and ARG activates their kinase activity and oncogenic potential. The oncogenic forms of ABL family kinases, v-ABL, BCR-ABL, TEL-ABL, NUP214-ABL, EML1...
Role of Abl Family Kinases in Growth Factor-Mediated Signaling
Constitutive activation of the Abl nonreceptor tyrosine kinases can occur as a result of structural alterations of the Abl1 and Abl2 genes, which leads to the development of leukemia. Tight control of...
Regulation of Cell Adhesion Responses by Abl Family Kinases
Integrins are cell surface receptors that mediate the interactions of cells with each other and the extracellular matrix. In this chapter, we review experiments indicating that the Abl family of nonre...
Abl Family Kinases in Mammalian Development
Abl and Arg nonreceptor tyrosine kinases are widely expressed in mammals, where they contribute to the development of diverse organ and tissue systems. Deletion of abl or arg in mice reveals roles for...
Regulation of Cell Motility by Abl Family Kinases
Cell migration is a highly dynamic process that involves regulation of actin-mediated protrusion of a leading lamellipodia and its adhesion to the extracellular matrix, followed by translocation of th...
