Final answer:
Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) recognize and dock on signaling proteins through ligand-induced dimerization and autophosphorylation of tyrosine residues on the intracellular domain.
Step-by-step explanation:
Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) are cell-surface proteins that play a critical role in cell signaling. When a signaling molecule, known as a ligand, binds to the extracellular domain of an RTK, it causes the receptor to dimerize, meaning that two receptor proteins come together to form a pair.
This dimerization activates the intracellular domain of the RTK, leading to the autophosphorylation of tyrosine residues on the intracellular domain. These phosphorylated tyrosine residues serve as docking sites for downstream signaling proteins, allowing them to recognize and bind to the RTK.