Physiological JNK3 Concentrations Are Higher in Motor-related and Disease-implicated Brain Regions of C57BL6/J Mice.

The c-Jun N-terminal kinase 3 (JNK3) is a stress-responsive protein kinase primarily expressed in the central nervous system (CNS). JNK3 exhibits nuanced neurological activities, such as roles in behavior, circadian rhythms, and neurotransmission, but JNK3 is also implicated in cell death and neurodegeneration. Despite the critical role of JNK3 in neurophysiology and pathology, its localization in the brain is not fully understood due to a paucity of tools to distinguish JNK3 from other isoforms.