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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2015 Jan 1.
Published in final edited form as: Toxicol Pathol. 2013 Oct 31;42(1):140–147. doi: 10.1177/0192623313506794

Figure 1. The PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Figure 1

Growth factor stimulation leads to activation of receptor protein tyrosine kinases, which in turn phosphorylate adaptor proteins such as IRS1. Phospho-IRS1 then recruits the PI3K heterodimers (p85 regulatory and p110 catalytic subunits) and activates the lipid kinase activity. The activated PI3Ks convert PIP2 to PIP3. The second messenger PIP3 recruits PDK and AKT to cytoplasmic membrane, where PDK phosphorylates and activates AKT. Activated AKT phosphorylates an array of downstream targets that control cell proliferation, apoptosis and cell migration.