The protein encoded by this gene is a member of the MAP kinase family. MAP kinases act as an integration point for multiple biochemical signals, and are involved in a wide variety of cellular processes such as proliferation, differentiation, transcription regulation and development. This kinase is activated by various environmental stresses and proinflammatory cytokines. The activation requires its phosphorylation by MAP kinase kinases (MKKs), or its autophosphorylation triggered by the interaction of MAP3K7IP1/TAB1 protein with this kinase. The substrates of this kinase include transcription regulator ATF2, MEF2C, and MAX, cell cycle regulator CDC25B, and tumor suppressor p53, which suggest the roles of this kinase in stress related transcription and cell cycle regulation, as well as in genotoxic stress response. Four alternatively spliced transcript variants of this gene encoding distinct isoforms have been reported. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008],CSBP, CSBP1, CSBP2, CSPB1, EXIP, Mxi2, PRKM14, PRKM15, RK, SAPK2A, p38, p38ALPHA,Angiogenesis,B Cell Receptor Signaling Pathway,Cardiovascular,Cell Biology & Developmental Biology,Cell Intrinsic Innate Immunity Signaling Pathway,Epigenetics & Nuclear Signaling,ErbB-HER Signaling Pathway,Immunology & Inflammation,Innate Immunity_TLR Signaling,Kinase,Kinase_Serine/threonine kinases,MAPK-P38 Signaling Pathway,Neurodegenerative Diseases,Neuroscience,NF-kB Signaling Pathway,Phospholipase Signaling Pathway,Protein phosphorylation,Signal Transduction,T Cell Receptor Signaling Pathway,TGF-b-Smad Signaling Pathway,Toll-like Receptor Signaling Pathway,Translation Control,Translational Control_Regulation of eIF4 and p70 S6 Kinase,MAPK14