Signaling by STAT

STAT stands for "Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription", because this class of proteins function as both signal transducer and transcription activator.  They are inactive as a monomer.  Activation involves phosphorylation and dimerization.  See Illustration from Blood.

Figure 6-F-3.  The domain organization of the STAT protein.  The DNA binding domain may be used to activate transcription and the SH2 domain may receive signal from tyrosine kinase such as Jak (a non-receptor tyrosine kinase).  Most cytokines use the Jak-STAT signaling pathway.

Review Articles:

Series on STAT regulation (4 articles) - FEBS J., 2004.

Roles and Regulation of Stat Family Transcription Factors in Human Breast Cancer - Am. J. Pathol., 2004.

Signal transducer and activator of transcription proteins in leukemias - Blood, 2003.

Activated STAT Signaling in Human Tumors Provides Novel Molecular Targets for Therapeutic Intervention - Clin. Cancer Res., 2002.

Series Introduction: JAK-STAT signaling in human disease - J. Clinical Investigation, 2002.

• Stat proteins and oncogenesis
• What does Stat3 do?
• Molecular aspects of primary immunodeficiencies: lessons from cytokine and other signaling pathways
• IFNs and STATs in innate immunity to microorganisms
• JAK-STAT signaling in asthma

SOCS Proteins: Negative Regulators of Cytokine Signaling - Stem Cells, 2001.

The Jak-Stat pathway in normal and perturbed hematopoiesis - Blood, 2000.