The Tumor Suppressor Merlin Controls Growth in Its Open State, and Phosphorylation Converts It to a Less-Active More-Closed State

摘要

Unlike other ERM family proteins that are activated by phosphorylation, the merlin/NF2 tumor suppressor is inactivated. Sher et al. resolve this apparent contradiction by showing that the relationship between conformation and function is conserved in merlin but that the regulation of conformation-by phosphorylation and other inputs-is more complex.