The anticoagulation factor protein S and its relative, Gas6, are ligands for the Tyro 3/Axl family of receptor tyrosine kinases

TN Stitt, G Conn, M Goret, C Lai, J Bruno… - Cell, 1995 - cell.com
TN Stitt, G Conn, M Goret, C Lai, J Bruno, C Radzlejewski, K Mattsson, J Fisher, DR Gies…
Cell, 1995cell.com
We report the identification of Iigands for Tyro 3 (alternatively called Sky, rse, brt, or tit) and
Axl (alternatively, Ark or UFO), members of a previously orphan family of receptor-like
tyrosine kinases. These ligands correspond to protein S, a protease regulator that is a potent
anticoagulant, and Gas6, a protein related to protein S but lacking any known function. Our
results are reminiscent of recent findings that the procoagulant thrombin, a protease that
drives clot formation by cleaving fibrinogen to form fibrin, also binds and activates …
Summary
We report the identification of Iigands for Tyro 3 (alternatively called Sky, rse, brt, or tit) and Axl (alternatively, Ark or UFO), members of a previously orphan family of receptor-like tyrosine kinases. These ligands correspond to protein S, a protease regulator that is a potent anticoagulant, and Gas6, a protein related to protein S but lacking any known function. Our results are reminiscent of recent findings that the procoagulant thrombin, a protease that drives clot formation by cleaving fibrinogen to form fibrin, also binds and activates intracellular signaling via a G protein-coupled cell surface receptor. Proteases and protease regulators that also activate specific cell surface receptors may serve to integrate coagulation with associated cellular responses required for tissue repair and growth, as well as to coordinate protease cascades and associated cellular responses in other systems, such as those involved in growth and remodeling of the nervous system.
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