Publisher Summary Signal transducers and activators of transcription (STATs) represent a
family of conserved proteins, seven of which have been identified in mammals. STATs are
now known to play a significant role in signal transduction for most cytokines. Homologues
of STATs have also been identified in lower eukaryotes. Janus kinases (JAKs) are receptor-
associated tyrosine kinases that mediate the ligand dependent activation of STATs. These
two protein families are the defining components of the JAK-STAT pathway. The JAK-STAT …