title: JNK is a novel regulator of intercellular adhesion.
abstract: c-Jun N-terminal Kinase (JNK) is a family of protein kinases, which are activated by stress stimuli such as inflammation, heat stress and osmotic stress, and regulate diverse cellular processes including proliferation, survival and apoptosis. In this review, we focus on a recently discovered function of JNK as a regulator of intercellular adhesion. We summarize the existing knowledge regarding the role of JNK during the formation of cell-cell junctions. The potential mechanisms and implications for processes requiring dynamic formation and dissolution of cell-cell junctions including wound healing, migration, cancer metastasis and stem cell differentiation are also discussed.
authors.affiliation: Bioengineering Laboratory; Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering; University at Buffalo; The State University of New York; Amherst, NY USA.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: You
authors.affiliation: Bioengineering Laboratory; Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering; University at Buffalo; The State University of New York; Amherst, NY USA.
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.affiliation: Bioengineering Laboratory; Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering; University at Buffalo; The State University of New York; Amherst, NY USA ; Department of Biomedical Engineering; University at Buffalo; The State University of New York; Amherst, NY USA ; Center for Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences; University at Buffalo; The State University of New York; Amherst, NY USA.
authors.forename: Stelios T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Andreadis
keywords: JNK; adherens junction; cell-cell adhesion; intercellular signaling; substrate stiffness