Jak-STAT pathway

Jak-STAT pathway [′jak‚stat ′path‚wā]

(cell and molecular biology)

A rapid signal transduction pathway used by a variety of cytokines and growth factors to alter gene expression. Binding of a cytokine or growth factor to its receptor activates Jak (janus kinase—a cytoplasmic tyrosine kinase) and triggers it to phosphorylate and stimulate STAT (signal transducers and activators of transcription—a gene regulatory protein) to travel to the nucleus and induce transcription of a specific gene.