Signal transmission from cell surface to target genes: Surprises and implications for therapeutic intervention
Lecture date: October 22, 2026
Aseem Ansari, PhD
Member, Chair, Department of Chemical Biology and Therapeutics
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Extracellular signals are received and transmitted by receptor proteins that span the cell membrane. A class of such receptors function by phosphorylating (transferring a phosphate group) other proteins, including transcription factors that traffic to the nucleus and regulate signal-responsive genes. We recently discovered that several such receptors, including the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) that is implicated in the etiology of several cancers, can directly traffic to the nucleus and regulate transcription of select genes. Such nuclear accumulation of cell surface receptors has been reported, but their role, especially in aggressive and drug-resistant cancers, has been a mystery. The talk will present our models of physiological and pathological roles of these kinases in the nucleus.
