Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK)

PTK2 is a focal adhesion-associated protein kinase involved in cellular adhesion and spreading processes. It has been shown that when FAK was blocked, breast cancer cells became less metastastic due to decreased mobility.FAK is a 125 Kd protein that is recruited as a participant in focal adhesion dynamics between cells and has a role in motility and cell survival. FAK is a highly conserved, non-receptor tyrosine kinase originally identified as a substrate for the oncogene protein tyrosine kinase v-src. This cytosolic kinase has been implicated in diverse cellular roles including cell locomotion, mitogen response and cell survival. FAK is typically located at structures known as focal adhesions, these are multi-protein structures that link the extracellular matrix (ECM) to the cytoplasmic cytoskeleton.