PURPOSE Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), consisting of three major enzymes-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), p38, and c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)-couple cell-surface receptors to critical regulatory targets and gene transcription. We hypothesized that MAPKs are differentially expressed and have distinct functions after retinal ischemia. METHODS Rats were subjected to re...

Significance Lignin deposition in plants is affected by environmental stress, and stress-signaling involves increases the levels of plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA). Here we show, using a combination biochemical genetic approaches, how ABA can regulate lignin biosynthesis. This phosphorylation master transcription factor NST1 family protein kinases (SnRK2s) that are themselves activated as res...

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...

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...

Mammalian cells respond to external stimuli by activation of a variety of signal transduction pathways, which culminate in stereotypical responses, such as proliferation, growth arrest, hypertrophy, differentiation, or apoptosis. In vertebrates the actions of many stimuli resulting in proliferative or hypertrophic growth converge on a set of cellular kinase cascades, which are collectively call...