Sandbox Reserved 598: Difference between revisions

[[Image:MyJak2.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Not, "just another kinase". Picture from Protein Data Bank.]]

Janus Kinase 2 is a non-receptor janus kinase, a protein which is part of the tyrosine kinases. These group of kinases are the primary intracellular mediators of cytokine signaling and are involved in the control of cellular growth. As a non-receptor kinase, Jak 2 has a cytoplasmic enzyme which catalyzes the transfer of a phosphate group through phosphorylation to the tyrosine residue in the protein.  Such an enzyme plays a crucial role in regulating various cellular functions by switching on or off additional enzymes within the cell. <ref> Hanks, SK., Quinn, AM., Hunter, T. (1988). The protein kinase family: conserved features and deduced phylogeny of the catalytic domains. Science 241 (4861): 42–52. doi:10.1126/science.3291115. PMID 3291115. </ref> Such phosphorylation is a reversible process, and used in many different pathways as a method to control cellular activity. However kinases like Jak2, have enzymes which add phosphate groups to hydroxyl side chains as can be seen in the diagram. <ref> Hudel, H. [Internet]. Irvine [CA]. Center for Biomembrane Systems at UC Irvine; c2013. [Updated 2013 Jan 3; cited 2013 March 23]. Available from: http://bass.bio.uci.edu </ref> [[Image:Phosphorylation.png]]