title: c-Jun N terminal kinases (JNK) are activated in the brain during the pathology of experimental cerebral malaria.
abstract: Experimental cerebral malaria (ECM) resulting from Plasmodium berghei ANKA (PbA) infection in C57BL/6J mice manifests cell death in the brain. However, the precise molecular and biochemical mechanisms regulating cell death during ECM remains unknown. In this study we have examined, the role of a stress activated protein kinase called c-Jun N terminal kinase during the pathology of ECM. We report in this study, for the first time the activation of all key elements in the JNK pathway like p-MKK4, p-JNK and p-c-Jun in mouse brain during ECM. Concomitant with such activation was the up regulation of p-JNK and its translocation into the nucleus leading to the phosphorylation of its major substrate c-Jun. These observations show the neuronal induction of p-JNK and its critical role as a mediator in neuronal cell death during ECM.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Gachibowli, Hyderabad 500 046, India.
authors.forename: Sripada Santosh
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Anand
authors.forename: Phanithi Prakash
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Babu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001921:Brain / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D016779:Malaria, Cerebral / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009474:Neurons / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D010962:Plasmodium berghei; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases