Role of mitogen-activated protein kinases in cardiovascular diseases

Mitogen-activated protein kinases in heart development and diseases.

Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases belong to a highly conserved family of Ser-Thr protein kinases in the human kinome and have diverse roles in broad physiological functions. The 4 best-characterized MAP kinase pathways, ERK1/2, JNK, p38, and ERK5, have been implicated in different aspects of cardiac regulation, from development to pathological remodeling. Recent advancements in the develo...

Editorial: Mitogen Activated Protein Kinases

p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases: their role in carcinogenesis

The members of the p38 subfamily of Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases (MAPKs) are a versatile group of proteins, that function as signal transducers involved in key cellular functions. Initially, p38 MAPKs were associated with inflammatory and cellular stress responses and, as such, p38 has been an important target for anti-inflammatory therapies. Recently, increasing evidence has directly impl...

Mitogen-activated Protein Kinases in Inflammation

Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) play critical regulatory roles in the production of the pro-inflammatory cytokines and downstream signaling events which lead to inflammation. Inflammation is a primarily localized and protective response of host against microbial infection. Controlled inflammation is beneficial and necessary for host defense while uncontrolled inflammatory response res...

Mitogen-activated Protein Kinases in Chondrocytes

Previous studies suggested that tyrosine kinase activation is an important signal transduction event in the IL-1 response of chondrocytes. The present study identifies the mitogenactivated protein (MAP) kinases extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)-1 and ERK-2 as major tyrosine phosphorylated proteins in IL-1 stimulated chondrocytes. Kinase assays on immunoprecipitates with myelin basic p...