Affiliation:
1. Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY 10461, U.S.A.
Abstract
Class IA PI3Ks (phosphoinositide 3-kinases) regulate a wide range of cellular responses through the production of PI(3,4,5)P3 (phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate) in cellular membranes. They are activated by receptor tyrosine kinases, by Ras and Rho family GTPases, and in some cases by Gβγ subunits from trimeric G-proteins. Crystallographic studies on the related class IB PI3Kγ, and biochemical and structural studies on the class IA PI3Ks, have led to new insights into how these critical enzymes are regulated in normal cells and how mutations can lead to their constitutive activation in transformed cells. The present paper will discuss recent studies on the regulation of class I (p85/p110) PI3Ks, with a focus on the role of SH2 domains (Src homology 2 domains) in the p85 regulatory subunit in modulating PI3K activity.