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Are enzymes of the JAK-STAT intracellular signaling pathway through which cytokines induce gene transcription in the nucleus. To do this, the enzymes (kinases) have to phosphorylate Signal Transducers and Activators of Transcription (STAT) Proteins (Signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1), Signal transducer and activator of transcription 2 (STAT2), Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), Signal transducer and activator of transcription 4 (STAT4), Signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (STAT5), Signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6)) in the cytosol, which then migrate to the nucleus and activate a variety of genes there
Murphy 2022 W.W. Norton & Company ISBN 978-0-393-68093-5
The name JAK arose from the two-faced Roman god Janus, since this family of kinases has a characteristic two-faced structure with an amino-terminal kinase domain preceded by a regulatory pseudokinase domain. However, since the function of the JAK family of kinases was still elusive, the alternative definition of JAK as “Just Another Kinase” was also appropriate
With the completion of the human and other genomes, it became clear that there are only 4 members of the JAK family based on their distinctive structure
JAKs contain a carboxy terminal catalytic or kinase domain preceded by a pseudokinase (PK) or kinase-like domain, a feature that prompted the name of the family