TNF is a pleiotropic cytokine and shows its biological function by binding to its receptors called TNFR1 and TNFR2. While TNFR1 induces apoptosis by activation of caspase-8 via the "death domain", it also activates IKKα/β, MKK3/6, MKK4/7 by activation of TAK1. Although the TNFR1 signaling pathway is known by in large, it is not known how AKT and MAPKs p38, ERK1/2, and JNK1/2 are activated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) plays a paramount role in homeostasis by inducing tumor cytotoxicity and activating immune system. The signaling complexes formed by TNFR1 to activate JNK, p38, and nuclear factor-kappa B pathways and to subsequently induce apoptosis and necroptosis are well known. However, this "canonical TNF-α signaling" does not explain how ERK, AKT, and STAT3 can be activated by TNF-α.
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