Leukocyte receptor tyrosine kinase (LTK)

Leukocyte receptor tyrosine kinase (LTK) is a member of the receptor tyrosine kinase family closely related to anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK). It is encoded by the *LTK* gene on human chromosome 15. Unlike many other RTKs that localize at the plasma membrane, mammalian LTK predominantly resides within the endoplasmic reticulum where it regulates protein secretion and ER-to-Golgi transport by phosphorylating Sec12. In addition to its role in cellular proteostasis, LTK is involved in neural development—particularly supporting survival and migration of neural crest cells—and has been implicated in various diseases including cancer and autoimmunity. Its ligands include FAM150A and FAM150B (also known as ALKAL1/2), which activate its signaling pathway. While structurally similar to ALK, mammalian LTK has a smaller extracellular domain due to evolutionary deletions. The biological functions of LTK span signal transduction pathways that control cell growth, differentiation, survival under stress conditions such as during embryonic development or immune responses

Other names

TYK1Ltkleukocyte tyrosine kinase