KIT (gene)

KIT
Available structures
PDBOrtholog search: PDBe RCSB
Identifiers
AliasesKIT, C-Kit, CD117, PBT, SCFR, KIT proto-oncogene receptor tyrosine kinase, MASTC, KIT proto-oncogene, receptor tyrosine kinase
External IDsOMIM: 164920; MGI: 96677; HomoloGene: 187; GeneCards: KIT; OMA:KIT - orthologs
Orthologs
SpeciesHumanMouse
Entrez
Ensembl
UniProt
RefSeq (mRNA)

NM_000222
NM_001093772

NM_001122733
NM_021099

RefSeq (protein)

NP_000213
NP_001087241

NP_001116205
NP_066922

Location (UCSC)Chr 4: 54.66 – 54.74 MbChr 5: 75.74 – 75.82 Mb
PubMed search[3][4]
Wikidata
View/Edit HumanView/Edit Mouse

Proto-oncogene c-KIT is the gene encoding the receptor tyrosine kinase protein known as tyrosine-protein kinase KIT, CD117 (cluster of differentiation 117) or mast/stem cell growth factor receptor (SCFR).[5] Multiple transcript variants encoding different isoforms have been found for this gene.[6][7] KIT was first described by the German biochemist Axel Ullrich in 1987 as the cellular homolog of the feline sarcoma viral oncogene v-kit.[8]

Function

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KIT is a cytokine receptor expressed on the surface of hematopoietic stem cells as well as other cell types. Altered forms of this receptor may be associated with some types of cancer.[9] KIT is a receptor tyrosine kinase type III, which binds to stem cell factor, also known as "steel factor" or "c-kit ligand". When this receptor binds to stem cell factor (SCF) it forms a dimer that activates its intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity, that in turn phosphorylates and activates signal transduction molecules that propagate the signal in the cell.[10] After activation, the receptor is ubiquitinated to mark it for transport to a lysosome and eventual destruction. Signaling through KIT plays a role in cell survival, proliferation, and differentiation. For instance, KIT signaling is required for melanocyte survival, and it is also involved in haematopoiesis and gametogenesis.[11]

Structure

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Like other members of the receptor tyrosine kinase III family, KIT consists of an extracellular domain, a transmembrane domain, a juxtamembrane domain, and an intracellular tyrosine kinase domain. The extracellular domain is composed of five immunoglobulin-like domains, and the protein kinase domain is interrupted by a hydrophilic insert sequence of about 80 amino acids. The ligand stem cell factor binds via the second and third immunoglobulin domains.[12][10][13]

Cell surface marker

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Cluster of differentiation (CD) molecules are markers on the cell surface, as recognized by specific sets of antibodies, used to identify the cell type, stage of differentiation and activity of a cell. KIT is an important cell surface marker used to identify certain types of hematopoietic (blood) progenitors in the bone marrow. To be specific, hematopoietic stem cells (HSC), multipotent progenitors (MPP), and common myeloid progenitors (CMP) express high levels of KIT. Common lymphoid progenitors (CLP) express low surface levels of KIT. KIT also identifies the earliest thymocyte progenitors in the thymus—early T lineage progenitors (ETP/DN1) and DN2 thymocytes express high levels of c-Kit. It is also a marker for mouse prostate stem cells.[14] In addition, mast cells, melanocytes in the skin, and interstitial cells of Cajal in the digestive tract express KIT. In humans, expression of c-kit in helper-like innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) which lack the expression of CRTH2 (CD294) is used to mark the ILC3 population.[15]

CD117/c-KIT is expressed not only by bone marrow-derived stem cells, but also by those found in other adult organs, such as the prostate, liver, and heart, suggesting that SCF/c-KIT signaling pathways may contribute to stemness in some organs. Additionally, c-KIT has been associated with numerous biological processes in other cell types. For example, c-KIT signaling, has been shown to regulate oogenesis, folliculogenesis, and spermatogenesis, playing important roles in female and male fertility.[16]

Mobilization

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Hematopoietic progenitor cells are normally present in the blood at low levels. Mobilization is the process by which progenitors are made to migrate from the bone marrow into the bloodstream, thus increasing their numbers in the blood. Mobilization is used clinically as a source of hematopoietic stem cells for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Signaling through KIT has been implicated in mobilization. At the current time, G-CSF is the main drug used for mobilization; it indirectly activates KIT. Plerixafor (an antagonist of CXCR4-SDF1) in combination with G-CSF, is also being used for mobilization of hematopoietic progenitor cells. Direct KIT agonists are currently being developed as mobilization agents.

Role in cancer

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Activating mutations in this gene are associated with gastrointestinal stromal tumors, testicular seminoma, mast cell disease, melanoma, acute myeloid leukemia, while inactivating mutations are associated with the genetic defect piebaldism.[6]

c-KIT plays an important role in regulating many mechanisms leading to tumor formation and progression of carcinomas. c-KIT has been proposed as a regulator of stemness in several cancers. Its expression has been linked to cancer stemness in ovarian cancer cells, colon cancer cells, non-small cell lung cancer cells, and prostate cancer cells. c-KIT has also been linked to the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which is important for tumor aggressiveness and metastatic potential. Ectopic expression of c-KIT and EMT have been linked in denoid cystic carcinoma of the salivary gland, thymic carcinomas, ovarian cancer cells, and prostate cancer cells. Several lines of evidence suggest that SCF/c-KIT signaling plays an important role in the tumor microenvironment. For example, in mice high levels of c-KIT in mast cells as well as its presence in the tumor microenvironment promote angiogenesis, leading to increased tumor growth and metastasis.[16]

Anti-KIT therapies

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KIT is a proto-oncogene, meaning that overexpression or mutations of this protein can lead to cancer.[17] Seminomas, a subtype of testicular germ cell tumors, frequently have activating mutations in exon 17 of KIT. In addition, the gene encoding KIT is frequently overexpressed and amplified in this tumor type, most commonly occurring as a single gene amplicon.[18] Mutations of KIT have also been implicated in leukemia, a cancer of hematopoietic progenitors, melanoma, mast cell disease, and gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). The efficacy of imatinib (trade name Gleevec), a KIT inhibitor, is determined by the mutation status of KIT:

When the mutation has occurred in exon 11 (as is the case many times in GISTs), the tumors are responsive to imatinib. However, if the mutation occurs in exon 17 (as is often the case in seminomas and leukemias), the receptor is not inhibited by imatinib. In those cases other inhibitors such as dasatinib Avapritinib or nilotinib can be used. Researchers investigated the dynamic behavior of wild type and mutant D816H KIT receptor, and emphasized the extended A-loop (EAL) region (805-850) by conducting computational analysis.[19] Their atomic investigation of mutant KIT receptor which emphasized on the EAL region provided a better insight into the understanding of the sunitinib resistance mechanism of the KIT receptor and could help to discover new therapeutics for KIT-based resistant tumor cells in GIST therapy.[19]

The preclinical agent, KTN0182A, is an anti-KIT, pyrrolobenzodiazepine (PBD)-containing antibody-drug conjugate which shows anti-tumor activity in vitro and in vivo against a range of tumor types.[20]

Diagnostic relevance

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Antibodies to KIT are widely used in immunohistochemistry to help distinguish particular types of tumour in histological tissue sections. It is used primarily in the diagnosis of GISTs, which are positive for KIT, but negative for markers such as desmin and S-100, which are positive in smooth muscle and neural tumors, which have a similar appearance. In GISTs, KIT staining is typically cytoplasmic, with stronger accentuation along the cell membranes. KIT antibodies can also be used in the diagnosis of mast cell tumours and in distinguishing seminomas from embryonal carcinomas.[21]

Interactions

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KIT has been shown to interact with:

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c GRCh38: Ensembl release 89: ENSG00000157404Ensembl, May 2017
  2. ^ a b c GRCm38: Ensembl release 89: ENSMUSG00000005672Ensembl, May 2017
  3. ^ "Human PubMed Reference:". National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine.
  4. ^ "Mouse PubMed Reference:". National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine.
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  6. ^ a b "Entrez Gene: KIT v-kit Hardy-Zuckerman 4 feline sarcoma viral oncogene homolog".
  7. ^ National Cancer Institute Dictionary of Cancer Terms. c-kit. Accessed October 13, 2014.
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  9. ^ Edling CE, Hallberg B (2007). "c-Kit--a hematopoietic cell essential receptor tyrosine kinase". The International Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology. 39 (11): 1995–1998. doi:10.1016/j.biocel.2006.12.005. PMID 17350321.
  10. ^ a b Blume-Jensen P, Claesson-Welsh L, Siegbahn A, Zsebo KM, Westermark B, Heldin CH (December 1991). "Activation of the human c-kit product by ligand-induced dimerization mediates circular actin reorganization and chemotaxis". The EMBO Journal. 10 (13): 4121–4128. doi:10.1002/j.1460-2075.1991.tb04989.x. PMC 453162. PMID 1721869.
  11. ^ Brooks S (2006). Studies of genetic variability at the KIT locus and white spotting patterns in the horse (Thesis). University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations. pp. 13–16.
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  18. ^ McIntyre A, Summersgill B, Grygalewicz B, Gillis AJ, Stoop J, van Gurp RJ, et al. (September 2005). "Amplification and overexpression of the KIT gene is associated with progression in the seminoma subtype of testicular germ cell tumors of adolescents and adults". Cancer Research. 65 (18): 8085–8089. doi:10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-05-0471. PMID 16166280.
  19. ^ a b Purohit R (2014). "Role of ELA region in auto-activation of mutant KIT receptor: a molecular dynamics simulation insight". Journal of Biomolecular Structure & Dynamics. 32 (7): 1033–1046. doi:10.1080/07391102.2013.803264. PMID 23782055. S2CID 5528573.
  20. ^ KTN0182A, an Anti-KIT, Pyrrolobenzodiazepine (PBD)-Containing Antibody Drug Conjugate (ADC) Demonstrates Potent Antitumor Activity In Vitro and In Vivo Against a Broad Range of Tumor Types; Lubeski C, Kemp GC, Von Bulow CL, Howard PW, Hartley JA, Douville T, Wellbrock J, et al.; 11th Annual PEGS - The Essential Protein Engineering Summit, Boston, 2015 Archived October 30, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
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  26. ^ a b van Dijk TB, van Den Akker E, Amelsvoort MP, Mano H, Löwenberg B, von Lindern M (November 2000). "Stem cell factor induces phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase-dependent Lyn/Tec/Dok-1 complex formation in hematopoietic cells". Blood. 96 (10): 3406–3413. doi:10.1182/blood.V96.10.3406. hdl:1765/9530. PMID 11071635.
  27. ^ Sattler M, Salgia R, Shrikhande G, Verma S, Pisick E, Prasad KV, et al. (April 1997). "Steel factor induces tyrosine phosphorylation of CRKL and binding of CRKL to a complex containing c-kit, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, and p120(CBL)". The Journal of Biological Chemistry. 272 (15): 10248–10253. doi:10.1074/jbc.272.15.10248. PMID 9092574.
  28. ^ a b Liang X, Wisniewski D, Strife A, Clarkson B, Resh MD (April 2002). "Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and Src family kinases are required for phosphorylation and membrane recruitment of Dok-1 in c-Kit signaling". The Journal of Biological Chemistry. 277 (16): 13732–13738. doi:10.1074/jbc.M200277200. PMID 11825908.
  29. ^ Voisset E, Lopez S, Chaix A, Vita M, George C, Dubreuil P, et al. (February 2010). "FES kinase participates in KIT-ligand induced chemotaxis". Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. 393 (1): 174–178. doi:10.1016/j.bbrc.2010.01.116. PMID 20117079.
  30. ^ Jahn T, Seipel P, Urschel S, Peschel C, Duyster J (February 2002). "Role for the adaptor protein Grb10 in the activation of Akt". Molecular and Cellular Biology. 22 (4): 979–991. doi:10.1128/MCB.22.4.979-991.2002. PMC 134632. PMID 11809791.
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  32. ^ Thömmes K, Lennartsson J, Carlberg M, Rönnstrand L (July 1999). "Identification of Tyr-703 and Tyr-936 as the primary association sites for Grb2 and Grb7 in the c-Kit/stem cell factor receptor". The Biochemical Journal. 341 (1): 211–216. doi:10.1042/0264-6021:3410211. PMC 1220349. PMID 10377264.
  33. ^ Feng GS, Ouyang YB, Hu DP, Shi ZQ, Gentz R, Ni J (May 1996). "Grap is a novel SH3-SH2-SH3 adaptor protein that couples tyrosine kinases to the Ras pathway". The Journal of Biological Chemistry. 271 (21): 12129–12132. doi:10.1074/jbc.271.21.12129. PMID 8647802.
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  38. ^ Jhun BH, Rivnay B, Price D, Avraham H (April 1995). "The MATK tyrosine kinase interacts in a specific and SH2-dependent manner with c-Kit". The Journal of Biological Chemistry. 270 (16): 9661–9666. doi:10.1074/jbc.270.16.9661. PMID 7536744.
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  44. ^ Yi T, Ihle JN (June 1993). "Association of hematopoietic cell phosphatase with c-Kit after stimulation with c-Kit ligand". Molecular and Cellular Biology. 13 (6): 3350–3358. doi:10.1128/MCB.13.6.3350. PMC 359793. PMID 7684496.
  45. ^ Deberry C, Mou S, Linnekin D (October 1997). "Stat1 associates with c-kit and is activated in response to stem cell factor". The Biochemical Journal. 327 (1): 73–80. doi:10.1042/bj3270073. PMC 1218765. PMID 9355737.
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Further reading

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