Role of Cbl-associated protein/ponsin in receptor tyrosine kinase signaling and cell adhesion

The Cbl-associated protein/ponsin (CAP) is an adaptor protein that contains a so-called Sorbin homology (SoHo) domain and three Src homology 3 (SH3) domains which are engaged in diverse protein-protein interactions. CAP has been shown to function in the regulation of the actin cytoskeleton and cell adhesion and to be involved in the differentiation of muscle cells and adipocytes. In addition, it participates in signaling pathways through several receptor tyrosine kinases such as insulin and neurotrophin receptors. In the last couple of years, several studies have shed light on the details of these processes and identified novel interaction partners of CAP. In this review, we summarize these recent findings and provide an overview on the function of CAP especially in cell adhesion and membrane receptor signaling.