Tyrosine Kinase Receptor A (TrkA)

Tyrosine Kinase Receptor A (TrkA) is a receptor tyrosine kinase that mediates the effects of Nerve Growth Factor (NGF). Upon NGF binding, TrkA dimerizes and autophosphorylates, initiating downstream signaling cascades, including the Ras/MAPK and PI3K/Akt pathways, which regulate neuronal differentiation, survival, and proliferation. TrkA plays a critical role in nociception and mutations are associated with congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis, intellectual disability, and certain cancers. It exists in equilibrium between monomeric (low affinity) and dimeric (high affinity) forms; dimerization is induced by ligand binding, which is essential for activation. Multiple transcript variants exist due to alternative splicing; at least three have been characterized so far. Two named isoforms are produced from alternative splicing events.

Other names

Tropomyosin receptor kinase AHigh affinity nerve growth factor receptorNeurotrophic tyrosine kinase receptor type 1NTRK1TRK1 transforming tyrosine kinase proteinp140-TrkATrk-A

Tyrosine kinase inhibition