A curvature-dependent membrane binding by tyrosine kinase Fer involves an intrinsically disordered region.

Tyrosine kinases are important enzymes that mediate signal transduction at the plasma membrane. While the significance of membrane localization of tyrosine kinases has been well evaluated, the role of membrane curvature in their regulation is unknown. Here, we demonstrate that an intrinsically disordered region in the tyrosine kinase Fer acts as a membrane curvature sensor that preferentially binds to highly curved membranes in vitro. This region forms an amphipathic α-helix upon interaction with curved membranes, aligning hydrophobic residues on one side of the helical structure. Further, the tyrosine kinase activity of Fer is significantly enhanced by the membrane in a manner dependent on curvature. We propose a model for the regulation of Fer based on an intramolecular interaction and the curvature-dependent membrane binding mediated by its intrinsically disordered region.

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