kinasedriven

Kinasedriven is a term used to describe biological processes and signaling networks that are primarily regulated by protein kinases, a diverse family of enzymes that catalyze the transfer of a phosphate group from ATP to specific substrates. Phosphorylation modulates the activity, interaction, localization, and stability of proteins, thereby shaping cellular responses. Kinasedriven regulation is frequently reversible, because phosphatases remove phosphate groups, enabling dynamic signaling.

Kinases target serine, threonine, or tyrosine residues, with receptor tyrosine kinases and serine/threonine kinases occupying key roles in many pathways. Common kinasedriven pathways include MAPK/ERK, PI3K/AKT/mTOR, and JAK-STAT signaling, which govern cell growth, survival, metabolism, and differentiation. Kinase cascades amplify signals and provide integration points for diverse stimuli, ensuring coordinated responses.

Dysregulation of kinase activity is a hallmark of many diseases, especially cancer, inflammatory disorders, and metabolic syndromes. Therapeutic strategies often aim to modulate kinasedriven signaling with small-molecule inhibitors, such as tyrosine kinase inhibitors and multi-target kinase inhibitors, sometimes in combination regimens. Resistance can emerge via mutations, pathway redundancy, or feedback activation.

In research, kinasedriven models are used to study signal transduction, and phosphoproteomics techniques map kinase activity across conditions. The term emphasizes the central role of phosphorylation-based control in cellular physiology.

See also: kinase, phosphorylation, signal transduction, phosphatase, kinase inhibitor.