Regulation of SRC-Family and focal adhesion kinase function

我们体内的细胞相互粘附，并粘附在周围称为细胞外基质的粘合材料上。一种称为粘着斑激酶（FAK）的酶是细胞粘性的主要调节因子。它可以催化一种叫做磷酸盐的化学基团与特定细胞蛋白质的共价连接。该提案旨在研究FAK如何受到胰岛素刺激的调节，以及FAK如何受到称为PTEN的肿瘤抑制因子的调节。这项研究的结果将揭示调节和PTEN的异常如何导致发育缺陷，心脏病发作和癌细胞扩散的发展。

Cells in our bodies stick to one another and to the cementing material called extracellular matrix surrounding them. An ezyme called focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a major regulator of cell stickiness. It can catalyze the covalent attachment of a chemical group called phosphate to specific cellular protein. This proposal aims at studying how FAK is regulated by insulin stimulation and how FAK is regulated by a tumour suppressor called PTEN. Results of the study will shed light on how abberrations in the regulation and PTEN contribute to the development of development defects, heart attack, and the spreading of cancer cells.