ALK

General Information

Cross References

Entrez RefSeq Uniprot Ensembl UCSC HGNC MONARCH INITIATIVE OMIM AllianceGenome Stringdb nextProt

Location

Summary

Entrez This gene encodes a receptor tyrosine kinase, which belongs to the insulin receptor superfamily. This protein comprises an extracellular domain, an hydrophobic stretch corresponding to a single pass transmembrane region, and an intracellular kinase domain. It plays an important role in the development of the brain and exerts its effects on specific neurons in the nervous system. This gene has been found to be rearranged, mutated, or amplified in a series of tumours including anaplastic large cell lymphomas, neuroblastoma, and non-small cell lung cancer. The chromosomal rearrangements are the most common genetic alterations in this gene, which result in creation of multiple fusion genes in tumourigenesis, including ALK (chromosome 2)/EML4 (chromosome 2), ALK/RANBP2 (chromosome 2), ALK/ATIC (chromosome 2), ALK/TFG (chromosome 3), ALK/NPM1 (chromosome 5), ALK/SQSTM1 (chromosome 5), ALK/KIF5B (chromosome 10), ALK/CLTC (chromosome 17), ALK/TPM4 (chromosome 19), and ALK/MSN (chromosome X).[provided by RefSeq, Jan 2011]
Stringdb ALK tyrosine kinase receptor; Neuronal receptor tyrosine kinase that is essentially and transiently expressed in specific regions of the central and peripheral nervous systems and plays an important role in the genesis and differentiation of the nervous system. Transduces signals from ligands at the cell surface, through specific activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. Phosphorylates almost exclusively at the first tyrosine of the Y- x-x-x-Y-Y motif. Following activation by ligand, ALK induces tyrosine phosphorylation of CBL, FRS2, IRS1 and SHC1, as well as o [...]
nextProt Neuronal receptor tyrosine kinase that is essentially and transiently expressed in specific regions of the central and peripheral nervous systems and plays an important role in the genesis and differentiation of the nervous system (PubMed:11121404, PubMed:11387242, PubMed:16317043, PubMed:17274988, PubMed:30061385, PubMed:34646012, PubMed:34819673). Also acts as a key thinness protein involved in the resistance to weight gain: in hypothalamic neurons, controls energy expenditure acting as a negative regulator of white adipose tissue lipolysis and sympathetic tone to fine-tune energy homeostasis (By similarity). Following activation by ALKAL2 ligand at the cell surface, transduces an extracellular signal into an intracellular response (PubMed:30061385, PubMed:33411331, PubMed:34646012, PubMed:34819673). In contrast, ALKAL1 is not a potent physiological ligand for ALK (PubMed:34646012). Ligand-binding to the extracellular domain induces tyrosine kinase activation, leading to activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway (PubMed:34819673). Phosphorylates almost exclusively at the first tyrosine of the Y-x-x-x-Y-Y motif (PubMed:15226403, PubMed:16878150). Induces tyrosine phosphorylation of CBL, FRS2, IRS1 and SHC1, as well as of the MAP kinases MAPK1/ERK2 and MAPK3/ERK1 (PubMed:15226403, PubMed:16878150). ALK activation may also be regulated by pleiotrophin (PTN) and midkine (MDK) (PubMed:11278720, PubMed:11809760, PubMed:12107166, PubMed:12122009). PTN-binding induces MAPK pathway activation, which is important for the anti-apoptotic signaling of PTN and regulation of cell proliferation (PubMed:11278720, PubMed:11809760, PubMed:12107166). MDK-binding induces phosphorylation of the ALK target insulin receptor substrate (IRS1), activates mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and PI3-kinase, resulting also in cell proliferation induction (PubMed:12122009). Drives NF-kappa-B activation, probably through IRS1 and the activation of the AKT serine/threonine kinase (PubMed:15226403, PubMed:16878150). Recruitment of IRS1 to activated ALK and the activation of NF-kappa-B are essential for the autocrine growth and survival signaling of MDK (PubMed:15226403, PubMed:16878150).

Interactions