Sprouty
Sprouty is a family of intracellular regulatory proteins that modulate signaling downstream of receptor tyrosine kinases. The name originates from the Drosophila gene sprouty, which was identified for its role in restricting tracheal branching during development, a phenotype described as reduced “sprouting.” In humans and other vertebrates, Sprouty proteins act as negative feedback modulators of pathways activated by growth factor receptors.
The vertebrate Sprouty family comprises several members, commonly SPRY1 through SPRY4. These proteins are typically around
Mechanistically, Sprouty proteins dampen signaling from multiple receptor tyrosine kinases, including FGFR, EGFR, PDGFR, and VEGFR.
Physiologically, Sprouty proteins play roles in development and tissue morphogenesis, including limb patterning, neural development, and
Clinically, Sprouty proteins are of interest in cancer biology and developmental disorders. Because they regulate RTK