SignaTECT® Protein Tyrosine Kinase Assay System Technical Bulletin

Literature # TB211

Protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) play a critical role in modulating many cellular events, including differentiation, growth and metabolism. Phosphorylation of tyrosine residues is essential for maintaining cellular homeostasis, yet this post-translational modification also provides the means by which a number of cellular oncogenes deregulate various signaling pathways and induce transformation. This class of enzymes is therefore an important target for both basic research and drug development.

PTKs represent a diverse group of protein kinases, comprising both transmembrane and cytoplasmic enzymes. Although protein phosphorylation is a common modification (approximately 10% of all proteins are phosphorylated), tyrosine phosphorylations make up only 0.01% of these events. Widespread appreciation of the complexity of signaling pathways involving this diverse class of enzymes has resulted in the need for more sophisticated reagents to dissect the role of PTKs in normal and disease states. The SignaTECT® Protein Tyrosine Kinase Assay System provides a broad-specificity assay to rapidly and specifically measure the enzymatic activities of a variety of PTKs, including both transmembrane receptor PTK enzymes (epidermal growth factor receptor, insulin receptor, platelet-derived growth factor receptor and fibroblast growth factor receptor) and cytosolic PTK enzymes (p60^scr, p93^fes and p43^abl).