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Signaling by the JNK group of MAP kinases. c-jun N-terminal Kinase

C Dong1, R J Davis, R A Flavell

  • 1Section of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine and Howard Hughes, Medical Institute, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA.

Journal of Clinical Immunology
|August 17, 2001
PubMed

Insights

The c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway is crucial for helper T cell differentiation and cytokine production, not essential for T cell activation. This review details JNK

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Cellular Biology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) is a key mammalian MAP kinase group.
  • Previous studies linked JNK to T cell activation and IL-2 expression in Jurkat T cells.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent advances in understanding the JNK pathway's role in T lymphocytes.
  • To elucidate JNK's function in T cell activation, differentiation, and cytokine production.

Main Methods:

  • Review of recent scientific literature.
  • Analysis of mouse genetic approaches.
  • Examination of primary mouse T cell studies.

Main Results:

  • JNK is not essential for initial T cell activation.
  • JNK is required for helper T cell differentiation into effector cells.
  • JNK influences cytokine production in differentiated T cells.

Conclusions:

  • The JNK pathway plays a critical role in T cell differentiation and effector function.
  • Novel functions of JNK in primary T cells have been uncovered using genetic models.
  • Understanding JNK regulation is key to T lymphocyte biology.

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