MERTK Stable Ba/F3 Cell Line

Fusing a kinase domain to a homodimerization domain such as the PNT domain of ETV6 can result in activated kinase. The MERTK Stable Ba/F3 Cell Line expresses activated MERTK tyrosine kinase that is linked to a GFP reporter (GFP-ETV6-MERTK in MSCV-puro vector). Ba/F3 cells expressing activated tyrosine kinase become completely dependent on the kinase activity for survival and as a result, the cells can be propagated even in the absence of IL-3.

The TAM family of receptor tyrosine kinases consist of proteins which bind to protein ligands Gas6 and Protein S. Though not essential in embroygenesis, the TAM proteins are important during adulthood, involved in regulating biological functions such as the immune and reproductive systems. Mutations in MERTK gene have been associated with disruption of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) phagocytosis pathway and onset of autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa (RP).