AllR Controls the Expression of Streptomyces coelicolor Allantoin Pathway Genes.

Streptomyces species are native inhabitants of soil, a natural environment where nutrients can be scarce and competition fierce. They have evolved ways to metabolize unusual nutrients, such as purines and its derivatives, which are highly abundant in soil. Catabolism of these uncommon carbon and nitrogen sources needs to be tightly regulated in response to nutrient availability and environmental stimulus.

FAK acts as a suppressor of RTK-MAP kinase signalling in Drosophila melanogaster epithelia and human cancer cells.

Receptor Tyrosine Kinases (RTKs) and Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) regulate multiple signalling pathways, including mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathway. FAK interacts with several RTKs but little is known about how FAK regulates their downstream signalling. Here we investigated how FAK regulates signalling resulting from the overexpression of the RTKs RET and EGFR.

Autophagic targeting of Src promotes cancer cell survival following reduced FAK signalling.

Here we describe a mechanism that cancer cells use to survive when flux through the Src/FAK pathway is severely perturbed. Depletion of FAK, detachment of FAK-proficient cells or expression of non-phosphorylatable FAK proteins causes sequestration of active Src away from focal adhesions into intracellular puncta that co-stain with several autophagy regulators. Inhibition of autophagy results in restoration of active Src at peripheral adhesions, and this leads to cancer cell death.