fms related receptor tyrosine kinase 3
Last updated 5 Jul 2022
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The FLT3 gene provides instructions for making a protein called fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3), which is part of a family of proteins called receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs). Receptor tyrosine kinases transmit signals from the cell surface into the cell through a process called signal transduction. The FLT3 protein is found in the outer membrane of certain cell types where a specific protein called FLT3 ligand, or FL, can attach (bind) to it. This binding turns on (activates) the FLT3 protein, which subsequently activates a series of proteins inside the cell that are part of multiple signaling pathways. The signaling pathways stimulated by the FLT3 protein control many important cellular processes such as the growth and division (proliferation) and survival of cells, particularly of early blood cells called hematopoietic progenitor cells.
Normal function
The FLT3 gene provides instructions for making a protein called fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3), which is part of a family of proteins called receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs). Receptor tyrosine kinases transmit signals from the cell surface into the cell through a process called signal transduction. The FLT3 protein is found in the outer membrane of certain cell types where a specific protein called FLT3 ligand, or FL, can attach (bind) to it. This binding turns on (activates) the FLT3 protein, which subsequently activates a series of proteins inside the cell that are part of multiple signaling pathways. The signaling pathways stimulated by the FLT3 protein control many important cellular processes such as the growth and division (proliferation) and survival of cells, particularly of early blood cells called hematopoietic progenitor cells.
Conditions referring to this gene or chromosome
Other names
CD135
CD135 antigen
fetal liver kinase 2
FL cytokine receptor
FLK-2
FLK2
FLT3_HUMAN
fms-like tyrosine kinase 3
fms-related tyrosine kinase 3
growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase type III
receptor-type tyrosine-protein kinase FLT3
stem cell tyrosine kinase 1
STK-1
STK1
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Further reading and references
- fms related receptor tyrosine kinase 3; MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine.
- Choudhary C, Schwable J, Brandts C, Tickenbrock L, Sargin B, Kindler T, Fischer T, Berdel WE, Muller-Tidow C, Serve H. AML-associated Flt3 kinase domain mutations show signal transduction differences compared with Flt3 ITD mutations. Blood. 2005 Jul 1;106(1):265-73. doi: 10.1182/blood-2004-07-2942. Epub 2005 Mar 15.
- Dohner H, Wei AH, Appelbaum FR, Craddock C, DiNardo CD, Dombret H, Ebert BL, Fenaux P, Godley LA, Hasserjian RP, Larson RA, Levine RL, Miyazaki Y, Niederwieser D, Ossenkoppele G, Rollig C, Sierra J, Stein EM, Tallman MS, Tien HF, Wang J, Wierzbowska A, Lowenberg B. Diagnosis and management of AML in adults: 2022 recommendations from an international expert panel on behalf of the ELN. Blood. 2022 Sep 22;140(12):1345-1377. doi: 10.1182/blood.2022016867.
- Dolence JJ, Gwin KA, Shapiro MB, Medina KL. Flt3 signaling regulates the proliferation, survival, and maintenance of multipotent hematopoietic progenitors that generate B cell precursors. Exp Hematol. 2014 May;42(5):380-393.e3. doi: 10.1016/j.exphem.2014.01.001. Epub 2014 Jan 18.
- Gilliland DG, Griffin JD. The roles of FLT3 in hematopoiesis and leukemia. Blood. 2002 Sep 1;100(5):1532-42. doi: 10.1182/blood-2002-02-0492.
- Khoury JD, Solary E, Abla O, Akkari Y, Alaggio R, Apperley JF, Bejar R, Berti E, Busque L, Chan JKC, Chen W, Chen X, Chng WJ, Choi JK, Colmenero I, Coupland SE, Cross NCP, De Jong D, Elghetany MT, Takahashi E, Emile JF, Ferry J, Fogelstrand L, Fontenay M, Germing U, Gujral S, Haferlach T, Harrison C, Hodge JC, Hu S, Jansen JH, Kanagal-Shamanna R, Kantarjian HM, Kratz CP, Li XQ, Lim MS, Loeb K, Loghavi S, Marcogliese A, Meshinchi S, Michaels P, Naresh KN, Natkunam Y, Nejati R, Ott G, Padron E, Patel KP, Patkar N, Picarsic J, Platzbecker U, Roberts I, Schuh A, Sewell W, Siebert R, Tembhare P, Tyner J, Verstovsek S, Wang W, Wood B, Xiao W, Yeung C, Hochhaus A. The 5th edition of the World Health Organization Classification of Haematolymphoid Tumours: Myeloid and Histiocytic/Dendritic Neoplasms. Leukemia. 2022 Jul;36(7):1703-1719. doi: 10.1038/s41375-022-01613-1. Epub 2022 Jun 22.
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- Levis MJ, Hamadani M, Logan BR, Jones RJ, Singh AK, Litzow MR, Wingard JR, Papadopoulos EB, Perl AE, Soiffer RJ, Ustun C, Oshima MU, Uy GL, Waller EK, Vasu S, Solh M, Mishra A, Muffly LS, Kim HJ, Stelljes M, Najima Y, Onozawa M, Thomson K, Nagler A, Wei AH, Marcucci G, Chen C, Hasabou N, Rosales M, Hill J, Gill SC, Nuthethi R, King D, Mendizabal A, Devine SM, Horowitz MM, Chen YB. Measurable residual disease and posttransplantation gilteritinib maintenance for patients with FLT3-ITD-mutated AML. Blood. 2025 May 8;145(19):2138-2148. doi: 10.1182/blood.2024025154.
- Lewis JFM, Daver NG, Robinson NJ, Pandya BJ, Pierre-Louis B, Monir S, Sierra J. Prevalence of Fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3 (FLT3) Mutations in Patients With Acute Myeloid Leukaemia: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis. Cancer Med. 2025 Sep;14(18):e71205. doi: 10.1002/cam4.71205.
- Li L, Piloto O, Kim KT, Ye Z, Nguyen HB, Yu X, Levis M, Cheng L, Small D. FLT3/ITD expression increases expansion, survival and entry into cell cycle of human haematopoietic stem/progenitor cells. Br J Haematol. 2007 Apr;137(1):64-75. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2141.2007.06525.x.
- Ningombam A, Verma D, Kumar R, Singh J, Ali MS, Pandey AK, Singh I, Bakhshi S, Sharma A, Pushpam D, Palanichamy JK, Tanwar P, Singh AR, Chopra A. Prognostic relevance of NPM1, CEBPA, and FLT3 mutations in cytogenetically normal adult AML patients. Am J Blood Res. 2023 Feb 15;13(1):28-43. eCollection 2023.
- Niparuck P, Limsuwanachot N, Pukiat S, Chantrathammachart P, Rerkamnuaychoke B, Magmuang S, Phusanti S, Boonyawat K, Puavilai T, Angchaisuksiri P, Ungkanont A, Chuncharunee S. Cytogenetics and FLT3-ITD mutation predict clinical outcomes in non transplant patients with acute myeloid leukemia. Exp Hematol Oncol. 2019 Jan 30;8:3. doi: 10.1186/s40164-019-0127-z. eCollection 2019.
- Pastore F, Pastore A, Rothenberg-Thurley M, Metzeler KH, Ksienzyk B, Schneider S, Bohlander SK, Braess J, Sauerland MC, Gorlich D, Berdel WE, Wormann B, von Bergwelt-Baildon MS, Hiddemann W, Spiekermann K. Molecular profiling of patients with cytogenetically normal acute myeloid leukemia and hyperleukocytosis. Cancer. 2022 Dec 15;128(24):4213-4222. doi: 10.1002/cncr.34495. Epub 2022 Oct 22.
- Schwede M, Rodriguez G, Kennedy VE, Henry S, Wood D, Mannis GN, Majeti R, Chen JH, Bendavid E, Zhang TY. The improved prognosis of FLT3-internal tandem duplication but not tyrosine kinase domain mutations in acute myeloid leukemia in the era of targeted therapy: a real-world study using large-scale electronic health record data. Haematologica. 2025 Jul 1;110(7):1634-1638. doi: 10.3324/haematol.2024.286695. Epub 2025 Feb 6. No abstract available.
- Yamamoto Y, Kiyoi H, Nakano Y, Suzuki R, Kodera Y, Miyawaki S, Asou N, Kuriyama K, Yagasaki F, Shimazaki C, Akiyama H, Saito K, Nishimura M, Motoji T, Shinagawa K, Takeshita A, Saito H, Ueda R, Ohno R, Naoe T. Activating mutation of D835 within the activation loop of FLT3 in human hematologic malignancies. Blood. 2001 Apr 15;97(8):2434-9. doi: 10.1182/blood.v97.8.2434.
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