EGFR in limbo.

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is normally activated by ligand-induced dimerization. Oncogenic mutations in EGFR promote activation in a largely ligand-independent manner. Shan et al. uncover a partially disordered state of EGFR kinase, providing evidence that oncogenic mutations counteract this intrinsic structural instability to promote dimerization and aberrant activation.