Localization of protein kinases by anchoring proteins: a theme in signal transduction.

A fundamental question in signal transduction is how stimulation of a specific protein kinase leads to phosphorylation of particular protein substrates throughout the cell. Recent studies indicate that specific anchoring proteins located at various sites in the cell compartmentalize the kinases to their sites of action. Inhibitors of the interactions between kinases and their anchoring proteins inhibit the functions mediated by the kinases. These data indicate that the location of these anchoring proteins provides some of the specificity of the responses mediated by each kinase and suggest that inhibitors of the interaction between the kinases and their anchoring proteins may be useful as therapeutic agents.