Rat Angiopoietin-1 Receptor / TIE2 (TEK) Protein

Background

TEK, also known as TEK receptor tyrosine kinase (also termed Tie2 in some literature), is a receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) with significant roles in vascular development, maintenance, and angiogenesis. Receptor tyrosine kinases are a class of cell surface receptors that, upon ligand binding, activate intracellular signaling cascades through phosphorylation. Specifically, the TEK/Tie2 receptor is primarily expressed in endothelial cells, which line blood vessels, as well as in certain subsets of hematopoietic cells. Its ligand, angiopoietin, specifically angiopoietins-1 and -2 (ANGPT1 and ANGPT2), modulates TEK signaling and plays essential roles in vessel stabilization, endothelial survival, and inflammatory responses. TEK signaling plays an essential role in regulating vascular quiescence and homeostasis. In developing and mature vasculature, TEK helps balance angiogenesis, where new blood vessels form from existing ones, with vascular stability and permeability. This function makes TEK a crucial player in several physiological and pathological processes, from wound healing to cancer and other angiogenesis-dependent diseases. Dysfunctional TEK signaling has been implicated in a range of vascular and inflammatory diseases, including tumor angiogenesis, diabetic retinopathy, and sepsis.