The stress activated protein kinase pathway.

The SAPKs represent novel conduits through which the effects of cellular insults or injury are transmitted to the nucleus to influence gene expression. The SAPK pathway consists of at least four levels of protein kinases that are activated by a wide range of agents that adversely affect cell growth. Unlike the structurally related MAPK pathway, the stress induced kinases are not required for mitogenesis and instead induce growth arrest. Given the modulation of the pathway by inflammatory cytokines, reperfusion injury and chemotherapeutics, determination of the physiological functions of the pathway may uncover new possibilities for diagnosis and therapeutic intervention.