The RYK receptor family

Abstract

Members of the related to tyrosine kinase (RYK) receptor subfamily display a small extracellular region featuring a Wnt inhibitory factor domain, a single transmembrane helix with a strong propensity to self-associate, and an intracellular region exhibiting several abnormal protein sequence motifs that contribute to a protein tyrosine kinase domain. These sequence deviations are characteristic and strongly associated with a lack of detectable intrinsic protein kinase activity, implying that RYK receptors form a subfamily of pseudokinases within the receptor-type protein tyrosine kinase group. RYK subfamily members are receptors for the Wnt family of acylated glycoproteins during embryonic de..