STAT proteins and transcriptional responses to extracellular signals.

Signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) transcription factors are implicated in programming gene expression in biological events as diverse as embryonic development, programmed cell death, organogenesis, innate immunity, adaptive immunity and cell growth regulation in organisms ranging from slime molds to insects to man. Rapid progress has unearthed much about the activation of STATs by Janus kinases (JAKs) and other tyrosine kinases and their ability to interface with other signaling systems. Once inside the nucleus, the STATs bind to promoters and join other transcriptional activators in the regulation of gene expression.