The epidermal growth factor receptor and its ligands

摘要: Appropriate response to growth and differentiation signals distinguishes normal development from neoplastic processes. A number of systems assure a regulated interaction with the surrounding environment. Polypeptide factors their receptors constitute one such pathway by which cells interpret external milieu. Acting via specific membrane-spanning moieties, these messengers initiate cascade enzymatic activities lead replication and/or differentiation. One class (figure 1) possesses an intrinsic tyrosine-specific kinase—an activity initially found in viral oncogene v-src. While nature secondary signal was similar growth, it postulated that either specificity or regulation signaling altered. This view oncogenesis mutated factor cemented discovery Avian Erythroblastosis Virus (AEV) v-erbB gene as being trucated version Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) [1–5]. Thus, EGFR, its configuration regulates signals, can be induce uncontrolled proliferation.