Mitogen-activated protein kinase 9

Function

The protein encoded by this gene is a member of the MAP kinase family. MAP kinases act as an integration point for multiple biochemical signals, and are involved in a wide variety of cellular processes such as proliferation, differentiation, transcription regulation and development. This kinase targets specific transcription factors, and thus mediates immediate-early gene expression in response to various cell stimuli. It is most closely related to MAPK8, both of which are involved in UV radiation-induced apoptosis, thought to be related to the cytochrome c-mediated cell death pathway. This gene and MAPK8 are also known as c-Jun N-terminal kinases. This kinase blocks the ubiquitination of tumor suppressor p53, and thus it increases the stability of p53 in nonstressed cells. Studies of this gene's mouse counterpart suggest a key role in T-cell differentiation. Four alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding distinct isoforms have been reported.

Interactions

Mitogen-activated protein kinase 9 has been shown to interact with:

• Grb2,
• MAPK8IP1,
• MAPK8IP2,
• MAPK8IP3
• P53, and
• TOB1.

References

References

1. (Dec 1994). "JNK2 contains a specificity-determining region responsible for efficient c-Jun binding and phosphorylation". Genes & Development.
2. "Entrez Gene: MAPK9 mitogen-activated protein kinase 9".
3. (Dec 1995). "Involvement of stress-activated protein kinase in the cellular response to 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine and other DNA-damaging agents". Cell Growth & Differentiation.
4. (Aug 1995). "Ionizing radiation stimulates a Grb2-mediated association of the stress-activated protein kinase with phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase". The Journal of Biological Chemistry.
5. (Sep 1998). "A mammalian scaffold complex that selectively mediates MAP kinase activation". Science.
6. (Oct 1999). "The JIP group of mitogen-activated protein kinase scaffold proteins". Molecular and Cellular Biology.
7. (Nov 1999). "JSAP1, a novel jun N-terminal protein kinase (JNK)-binding protein that functions as a Scaffold factor in the JNK signaling pathway". Molecular and Cellular Biology.
8. (Feb 2000). "Interaction of a mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling module with the neuronal protein JIP3". Molecular and Cellular Biology.
9. (Nov 1997). "JNK1, JNK2 and JNK3 are p53 N-terminal serine 34 kinases". Oncogene.
10. (Dec 2002). "Death-associated protein 4 binds MST1 and augments MST1-induced apoptosis". The Journal of Biological Chemistry.
11. (Oct 2002). "Identification of the Anti-proliferative protein Tob as a MAPK substrate". The Journal of Biological Chemistry.