Functional Roles of p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase in Macrophage-Mediated Inflammatory Responses

Figure 1

p38-regulated signaling pathways in inflammatory responses. Inflammation-derived cytokines such as TNF-α and IL-1, TLR ligands such as LPS, poly(I:C), and peptidoglycan, as a environmental stresses, stimulate the phosphorylation of p38, leading to the activation of transcription factors such as AP-1 family. Subsequent expression of inflammatory genes by these transcription factors mediates various inflammatory responses including cytokine production, migration, and apoptosis of macrophages, monocytes, and neutrophils.