Probing JNK MAPK function with peptide inhibitors

人们普遍认为，蛋白激酶的JNK MAPK家族在哺乳动物细胞暴露于应激和细胞因子后被快速且有效地激活。 然而，它们的生物学作用仍然存在争议。我们认为，这个问题反映了缺乏一个普遍适用的和具体的JNK MAPK抑制剂。在这个项目中，我们继续在我们的实验室开发的小肽抑制剂的特性。我们的目标是确定其抑制机制，相互作用的特异性，并发展更有效的抑制剂。有了这些新的抑制剂，我们可以有效地解决这些激酶的生物学作用。

It has generally been accepted that the JNK MAPK family of protein kinases is rapidly and potently activated following the exposure of mammalian cells to stresses and cytokines. However, their biological role has remained controversial. We believe that this problem reflects the lack of a generally applicable and specific JNK MAPK inhibitor. In this project we continue our characterisation of a small peptide inhibitor developed in our laboratories. We aim to determine its mechanism of inhibition, the specificity of interaction, and to evolve more effective inhibitors. With these new inhibitors, we can effectively address the biological roles of these kinases.