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 is activated by various cell stimuli, and targets specific transcription factors, and thus mediates immediate-early gene expression in response to cell stimuli. The activation of this kinase by tumor-necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) is found to be required for TNF-alpha induced apoptosis. This kinase is also involved in UV radiation induced apoptosis, which is thought to be related to cytochrom c-mediated cell death pathway. Studies of the mouse counterpart of this gene suggested that this kinase play a key role in T cell proliferation, apoptosis and differentiation. Several alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding distinct isoforms have been reported. [provided by RefSeq, Apr 2016],JNK, JNK-46, JNK1, JNK1A2, JNK21B1/2, PRKM8, SAPK1, SAPK1c,Apoptosis,Apoptosis_Inhibition of Apoptosis,Apoptosis_Mitochondrial Control of Apoptosis,B Cell Receptor Signaling Pathway,Cancer,Cell Biology & Developmental Biology,Cell Intrinsic Innate Immunity Signaling Pathway,Death Receptor Signaling Pathway,Endocrine & Metabolism,ErbB-HER Signaling Pathway,Immunology & Inflammation,Innate Immunity_TLR Signaling,Insulin Receptor Signaling Pathway,Kinase,Kinase_Serine/threonine kinases,MAPK-JNK Signaling Pathway,Neurodegenerative Diseases,Neurodegenerative Diseases_Dopamine Signaling in Parkinsons Disease,Neuroscience,NF-kB Signaling Pathway,Signal Transduction,T Cell Receptor Signaling Pathway,TGF-b-Smad Signaling Pathway,Toll-like Receptor Signaling Pathway,MAPK8