Immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif

An immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif (ITAM) is a conserved sequence of four amino acids that is repeated twice in the cytoplasmic tails of non-catalytic tyrosine-phosphorylated receptors, cell-surface proteins found mainly on immune cells. Its major role is being an integral component for the initiation of a variety of signaling pathway and subsequently the activation of immune cells, although different functions have been described, for example an osteoclast maturation.