Analysis of changes in phosphorylation of receptor tyrosine kinases: antibody arrays

Tyrosine kinases are mainly classified into two groups, as receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) and non-receptor tyrosine kinase (NRTK). The RTK family of transmembrane ligand-binding proteins are important mediators of the signaling cascade and includes EGFR, PDGFR (platelet-derived growth factor receptors), FGFR (fibroblast growth factor receptor) and the IR (insulin receptor). RTKs comprise 59 members and their structure includes an extracellular ligand-binding domain, a transmembrane domain, and an intracellular domain possessing the tyrosine kinase activity. This chapter focuses on antibody arrays that are basically used to analyse phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of RTKs. Antibody arrays include well-characterized antibodies for profiling, changes in RTK expression, and comparison between normal, diseased, or treated samples.