PMID: 12467573 , Related PDB ids: 1MP8, 1MQ4, 1MQB

Authors:

Nowakowski J, Cronin CN, McRee DE, Knuth MW, Nelson CG, Pavletich NP, Rogers J, Sang BC, Scheibe DN, Swanson RV, Thompson DA

Title:

Structures of the cancer-related Aurora-A, FAK, and EphA2 protein kinases from nanovolume crystallography.

Journal:

Structure. 2002 Dec;10(12):1659-67.

Abstract:

Protein kinases are important drug targets in human cancers, inflammation, and metabolic diseases. This report presents the structures of kinase domains for three cancer-associated protein kinases: ephrin receptor A2 (EphA2), focal adhesion kinase (FAK), and Aurora-A. The expression profiles of EphA2, FAK, and Aurora-A in carcinomas suggest that inhibitors of these kinases may have inherent potential as therapeutic agents. The structures were determined from crystals grown in nanovolume droplets, which produced high-resolution diffraction data at 1.7, 1.9, and 2.3 A for FAK, Aurora-A, and EphA2, respectively. The FAK and Aurora-A structures are the first determined within two unique subfamilies of human kinases, and all three structures provide new insights into kinase regulation and the design of selective inhibitors.