Juxtamembrane autoinhibition in receptor tyrosine kinases

Receptor tyrosine kinases are essential mediators of cell growth, differentiation, migration and metabolism. Accordingly, their catalytic activity is tightly regulated by several mechanisms including autoinhibition. Recent structural studies, together with biochemical experiments, are now unravelling the molecular mechanisms by which the juxtamembrane region ( between the transmembrane helix and the cytoplasmic kinase domain) negatively regulates catalytic activity in various receptor tyrosine kinases.