Signal Transduction by the Colony-Stimulating Factor-1 Receptor; Comparison to Other Receptor Tyrosine Kinases

Abstract

Publisher Summary The colony-stimulating factor-1 (CSF-1) receptor (CSF-1R), encoded by the protooncogene c- fms , is the cell surface receptor for the macrophage colony-stimulating factor. It is a member of the tyrosine kinase family of growth factor receptors, which are believed to exert their biological influence through the catalysis of tyrosine phosphorylation of key intracellular substrates. In addition, CSF-1R is a hematopoietic growth factor receptor and its expression is lineage-specific, being confined to monocytes and macrophages and their bone marrow progenitors. It has been found on placental trophoblasts. This chapter discusses the signaling mechanisms utilized by CSF-1R and the similarities and differences when compared to other receptor tyrosine kinases. It discusses the mechanism of ligand-induced kinase activation and the potential biological role of the few intracellular substrates so far identified. What is known to date regarding the biochemical aspects of the function of CSF-1R provides one with only the beginning of an understanding of the biological aspects of its function, that is, its essential role in the proliferation, differentiation, and survival of monocytes and macrophages. As more knowledge is accumulated concerning the different components of the intracellular signaling pathways, this gap is certain to be filled in.