NOVEL MAPK KINASE

摘要

A substantially pure MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) originating in a vertebrate, characterized by activating SAPK/JNK activated by a stimulus by TNF-.alpha. or a stimulus against Fas antigen but not activating p38; and a DNA encoding the same. Use of the MAPK kinase and the DNA encoding the same makes it possible to screen compounds which are useful in treating or preventing diseases in which the excessive activation or inhibition of the MAPK kinase cascade participates and to produce diagnostic reagents for these diseases. The DNA encoding the MAPK kinase is also useful as a gene source to be used in gene therapy. The invention discloses also a recombinant DNA constructed by integrating the above DNA into a replicable vector, microorganisms or cells transformed by this replicable recombinant DNA, a dominant negative polypeptide of the MAPK kinase and a DNA encoding the same, and an antibody capable of binding to the MAPK kinase.