Kinase Subfamily PDGFR

Kinase Classification: Group TK: Family PVR: Subfamily PDGFR

PDGFR are vertebrate receptor tyrosine kinases involved in development, growth, migration, differentiation and angiogenesis.

Evolution

PDGFRa and PDGFRb are found in all vertebrates, but not in other species. PDGFR probably originated in a tandem triplication of an ancestral PVR kinase, duplicated to make PDGFRa and b (alpha and beta) in early vertebrates. PDGFRb is further duplicated in fish.

Domain Structure

The extracellular region consists of 5 Immunoglobulin repeats, flanked by a signal peptide and a transmembrane region, while the intracellular region encodes a kinase domain and several other important short functional motifs.

Function

PDGFRa and PDGFRb form homo- and heterodimeric receptors for PDGF (Platelet-Derived Growth Factor) ligands, PDGFA-PDGFD. PDGFs have several reported functions, including the growth of different mesenchymal cell types in development, in angiogenesis, differentiation, and migration.