Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a tyrosine kinase found in focal adhesions, intracellular signaling complexes that are formed following engagement of the extracellular matrix by integrins. The C-terminal 'focal adhesion targeting' (FAT) region is nece ...
Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a tyrosine kinase found in focal adhesions, intracellular signaling complexes that are formed following engagement of the extracellular matrix by integrins. The C-terminal 'focal adhesion targeting' (FAT) region is necessary and sufficient for localising FAK to focal adhesions. The crystal structure of FAT shows it forms a four-helix bundle that resembles those found in two other proteins involved in cell adhesion, alpha-catenin and vinculin [1]. The binding of FAT to the focal adhesion protein, paxillin, requires the integrity of the helical bundle, whereas binding to another focal adhesion protein, talin, does not.
