JNK Signaling Pathway Involvement in Spinal Cord Neuron Development and Death
1
Department of Neuroscience Rita Levi Montalcini, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
2
Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi, University of Turin, 10043 Orbassano (TO), Italy
3
National Institute of Neuroscience (INN), 10125 Turin, Italy
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Cells 2019, 8(12), 1576; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells8121576
Received: 12 November 2019 / Revised: 2 December 2019 / Accepted: 3 December 2019 / Published: 5 December 2019
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of c-Jun N-terminal Kinase (JNK) Signaling in Biological Diseases)
The c-Jun NH2-terminal protein kinase (JNK) is a Janus-faced kinase, which, in the nervous system, plays important roles in a broad range of physiological and pathological processes. Three genes, encoding for 10 JNK isoforms, have been identified: jnk1, jnk2, and jnk3. In the developing spinal cord, JNK proteins control neuronal polarity, axon growth/pathfinding, and programmed cell death; in adulthood they can drive degeneration and regeneration, after pathological insults. Indeed, recent studies have highlighted a role for JNK in motor neuron (MN) diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and spinal muscular atrophy. In this review we discuss how JNK-dependent signaling regulates apparently contradictory functions in the spinal cord, in both the developmental and adult stages. In addition, we examine the evidence that the specific targeting of JNK signaling pathway may represent a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of MN diseases.
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Keywords:
JNK; spinal cord; motor neurons; MAP kinase
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MDPI and ACS Style
Schellino, R.; Boido, M.; Vercelli, A. JNK Signaling Pathway Involvement in Spinal Cord Neuron Development and Death. Cells 2019, 8, 1576.
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