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 environmental stresses and proinflammatory cytokines. The activation requires its phosphorylation by MAP kinase kinases (MKKs), or its autophosphorylation triggered by the interaction of MAP3K7IP1/TAB1 protein with this kinase. The substrates of this kinase include transcription regulator ATF2, MEF2C, and MAX, cell cycle regulator CDC25B, and tumor suppressor p53, which suggest the roles of this kinase in stress related transcription and cell cycle regulation, as well as in genotoxic stress response. Four alternatively spliced transcript variants of this gene encoding distinct isoforms have been reported.,MAPK14,CSBP,CSBP1,CSBP2,CSPB1,EXIP,Mxi2,PRKM14,PRKM15,RK,SAPK2A,p38,p38ALPHA,p38 MAPK,Epigenetics & Nuclear Signaling,Translation Control,Regulation of eIF4 and p70 S6 Kinase,Signal Transduction,Kinase,Serine/threonine kinases,Phospholipase Signaling Pathway,ErbB-HER Signaling Pathway,MAPK-P38 Signaling Pathway,Cell Biology & Developmental Biology,TGF-b-Smad Signaling Pathway,Immunology & Inflammation,B Cell Receptor Signaling Pathway,T Cell Receptor Signaling Pathway,NF-kB Signaling Pathway,Toll-like Receptor Signaling Pathway,Cell Intrinsic Innate Immunity Signaling Pathway,TLR Signaling,Neuroscience,Neurodegenerative Diseases,Cardiovascular,Angiogenesis,MAPK14