Abstract
Cell-to-cell communication mediates a plethora of cellular decisions and behaviors that are crucial for the correct and robust development of multicellular organisms. Many of these signals are encoded in secreted hormones or growth factors that bind to and activate cell surface receptors, to transmit the cue intracellularly. One of the major superfamilies of cell surface receptors are the receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs). For nearly half a century RTKs have been the focus of intensive study due to their ability to alter fundamental aspects of cell biology, such as cell proliferation, growth, and shape, and because of their central importance in diseases such as cancer. Studies in model organisms such a Drosophila melanogaster have proved invaluable for identifying new conserved RTK pathway components, delineating their contributions, and for the discovery of conserved mechanisms that control RTK-signaling events. Here we provide a brief overview of the RTK superfamily and the general mechanisms used in their regulation. We further highlight the functions of several RTKs that govern distinct cell-fate decisions in Drosophila and explore how their activities are developmentally controlled.
Highlights
Cell-to-cell communication mediates a plethora of cellular decisions and behaviors that are crucial for the correct and robust development of multicellular organisms
Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) play essential roles in the cellular communication network that orchestrates the development of metazoans
receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) were discovered in the 1970s as the key factors responsible for transducing several potent growth and proliferative signals, including nerve growth factor (NGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), and insulin
Summary
Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) play essential roles in the cellular communication network that orchestrates the development of metazoans. While members of the RTK protein superfamily are best known for roles in driving cell proliferation, they play critical roles in eukaryotic development and homeostasis These include the patterning of cells and tissues [3], the control of cell shape changes for migration and morphogenesis [4], cell and organ/tissue growth control [5,6], and the maintenance and survival of both developing and adult tissues [7,8] (Figure 1). In addition to the MAPK pathway, several RTKs including the Insulin receptor family use the PI3K-Akt-TOR signaling axis to modulate general protein synthesis, cell cycle progression, and inhibit apoptosis via S6K and/or the forkhead transcription factor FOXO [33,34]. Some examples of this include Drosophila EGFR [37,38], PDGFR [39], and Drosophila Torso [40]
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