1. Signaling Pathways
  2. Protein Tyrosine Kinase/RTK
  3. Receptor Tyrosine Kinase

Receptor Tyrosine Kinase

Synonyms: RTK

Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) are single-span transmembrane receptors in which relatively conserved intracellular kinase domains are coupled to divergent extracellular modules. RTKs are glycoproteins that consist of an extracellular ligand sensing domain, a transmembrane domain, and intracellular domains that contain the kinase corRTKs are glycoproteins that consist of an extracellular ligand sensing domain, a transmembrane domain, and intracellular domains that contain the kinase core. Typical RTKs include receptors for growth factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) or insulin. Upon the transduction of an extracellular signal, RTKs can either autophosphorylate the intracellular tyrosine residues located on their own receptor, a neighboring receptor, or phosphorylate substrate proteins, creating binding sites for downstream signaling molecules.