Life Sciences Commons^™

Abelson Tyrosine Kinase Links Axon Guidance Receptors To Cytoskeletal Dynamics Through Protein-Protein Interactions Mediated By Its C-Terminal Domain, Han Sian Joshua Cheong

Wayne State University Dissertations

Abelson tyrosine kinase (Abl) is a key player in axon guidance, where it functions to link a multitude of axon guidance receptors to actin cytoskeletal dynamics. The C-terminal domain (CTD) of Abl is instrumental to Abl function, but its role is poorly explored due to a lack of conserved sequence elements. Here, we use a systematic approach to identify regions of the CTD important for Abl function, and define two regions (the first and third quarters, 1Q and 3Q) important for Abl function. We demonstrate that both these regions are likely intrinsically disordered, and function in scaffolding to recruit Abl …