Recent advances in growth factor receptor research

Growth factors regulate cell growth, differentiation, migration, and apoptosis by stimulating the intrinsic protein kinase activities of their specific cell surface receptors. Most growth factors such as PDGF, EGF, FGF and IGF-I, bind to receptors with tyrosine kinase activity but members of the TGF-beta supergene family bine to those containing serine/threonine kinase activity. Recently, there has been substantial progress in the research field of growth factor receptors and their signaling mechanisms. This review briefly summerizes the tyrosine kinase receptors and also describes recent works in receptors for the TGF-beta supergene family and their signaling mechanisms.