Molecular control of haematopoiesis via the JAK-STAT signalling pathway

Abstract

Maintenance of the haematopoietic system is controlled by intercellular signalling molecules known as cytokines. Cytokines function by binding to receptors at the surface of target cells and activating a number of signalling pathways inside the cell that lead to changes in gene transcription and ultimately a cellular response, whether it be differentiation, division, cell death or other. These processes need to be tightly controlled and regulated, and so there are cellular mechanisms for controlling both the duration and intensity of the signal produced by cytokines. This thesis investigates the structure and function of two regulators of cytokine signalling; PTP1B and LNK. PTP1B is a protei..